Week 2 Story: A Retelling of The Crocodile in the River

 

                                                                Estuarine Crocodile: Pixabay

Once there was a tiny monkey and a ginormous crocodile that devoured all in his sight. This monkey would hop across lily pads on a river to reach an island that had the most delightful fruits. He would eat until he was full and then leap back across the lily pads at sunset. The crocodile knew this and desired to eat the little monkey.

The monkey knew the crocodile desired him and always made sure to look for the crocodile's giant eyes before making his way across the river. The crocodile knew he must try and deceive the monkey, as he was too small and fast to catch. One day while the monkey was across the river the crocodile went underneath the lily pads so that they would stick to his back. Believing the monkey would be tricked, the crocodile remained there until sunset. 

When the monkey reached the shore, he noticed some of the lily pads were crooked and seemed bumpy. As the monkey was smart, he realized the crocodile must be underneath the lily pads and will try to cast him into the water.

The monkey called out to the lily pads three times, "Hello lily pads!" When the lily pads obviously did not answer, the monkey asked, "Lily pads, why do you not call out to me today?" Believing that the lily pads call out to the monkey, the crocodile stuck out his nose to speak. "Hello monkey. Please cross as you please!" Realizing the monkey had deceived him, the crocodile rose his head out of the water.

The monkey now knowing for sure that the crocodile was there knew that he needed to outwit the crocodile to cross the river. The little monkey tells the crocodile that there is no way he can escape being such a small monkey and that he gives up. He then tells the crocodile to open his mouth so that he may just jump into it. However, the little monkey has tricked the crocodile because when crocodiles open their mouth their eyes shut! The little monkey knowing this jumps onto the nose of the crocodile and then scurries across the back of the crocodile until he reached the other side of the river.

The crocodile realizing that he has been tricked turns around and tells the little monkey that he has all four virtues to overcome his enemies. These virtues are truth, foresight, fixed resolve, and fearlessness. He then vows to never try and hunt the little monkey again.

Author's Note:  I rewrote this story by making the big monkey in the original that leapt across the river on a rock into a small monkey that leapt across on lily pads. I also made the crocodile larger so that the little monkey could just run across the crocodile's back to reach the other side of the river. Other than those changes, the rest of the story is the same as the original.

Bibliography: "The Monkey and the Rock in the River" by Vanarinda Jataka, from The Jataka Volume 1. Translated by Robert Chalmers. Website: Jatakas, Panchatantra, and Other Fables from India