Once upon a time, in a lush green forest, there lived a clever monkey. He made his home in a tall, fruit-laden tree by the side of a sparkling river. The tree bore the juiciest, most delicious fruits in the entire forest, and the monkey loved to eat them every day.
One day, as the monkey was happily munching on his fruits, a crocodile swam up to the riverbank. The crocodile looked up at the monkey and said, "Oh, Monkey! You seem to be enjoying those fruits. Would you share some with me?"
The kind-hearted monkey tossed down a few fruits to the crocodile. The crocodile loved the taste and began to visit the monkey every day, enjoying the sweet fruits and listening to the monkey's stories. Over time, they became good friends.
However, the crocodile had a wife who was very greedy. One day, she said to her husband, "Those fruits are so delicious, but I bet the monkey's heart must be even tastier! Bring me his heart so that I can eat it!"
The crocodile was shocked. He didn't want to harm his friend, but he was afraid of his wife. So, the next day, he went to the monkey with a heavy heart.
"Dear Monkey," the crocodile said, "You've been so kind to me. I want to invite you to my home on the other side of the river so that you can meet my wife. She would love to have you for dinner."
The monkey was pleased but worried. He had never swum before. "How will I cross the river?" he asked.
"Don't worry," said the crocodile with a sly smile. "I'll carry you on my back."
The monkey agreed and climbed onto the crocodile's back. But as they reached the middle of the river, the crocodile began to sink lower into the water.
"What's happening?" cried the monkey.
The crocodile finally confessed, "My wife wants to eat your heart. That's why I'm taking you to my home."
The clever monkey thought quickly and said, "Oh, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I left my heart back in the tree! If you take me back, I can get it for you."
The crocodile, not being very smart, believed the monkey and swam back to the riverbank. As soon as they reached the shore, the monkey leaped off the crocodile’s back and climbed up his tree as fast as he could.
From the safety of the tree, the monkey shouted, "You fool! How can anyone leave their heart behind? I trusted you, but you tried to trick me. Now go away and never come back!"
The crocodile realized his foolishness and swam away, never to return. The monkey, safe in his tree, lived happily ever after, enjoying his fruits and the peace of the forest.