The story of a monkey, a crocodile and a turtle

Once upon a time, there was a monkey who lived on a mango tree near a river. He enjoyed eating the ripe and juicy mangoes every day. One day, he saw a crocodile swimming in the river. The monkey was curious and friendly, so he threw a mango to the crocodile and said, "Hello, friend! Try this delicious fruit. It is my gift to you." The crocodile was surprised and pleased by the monkey's gesture. He tasted the mango and found it very sweet and tasty. He thanked the monkey and said, "You are very kind and generous. I would like to be your friend. Can I come back tomorrow for more mangoes?" The monkey agreed and they became friends. Every day, the crocodile would visit the monkey and they would chat and eat mangoes together. The monkey was happy to have a new friend. One day, the crocodile told his wife about the monkey and the mangoes. She was very greedy and cunning. She said to her husband, "You are so lucky to have such a friend. He must have a very sweet heart since he eats so many mangoes. I want to eat his heart. Bring him to me tomorrow." The crocodile was shocked and scared by his wife's request. He loved his friend and did not want to harm him. But he also loved his wife and did not want to disappoint her. He did not know what to do. The next day, he went to see the monkey as usual. But he looked sad and worried. The monkey noticed his friend's mood and asked him what was wrong. The crocodile hesitated for a moment, then lied to the monkey. He said, "My wife is very sick and she wants to meet you. She thinks you can cure her with your magic. Please come with me to my home in the lake." The monkey was concerned for his friend's wife and agreed to go with him. He jumped on the crocodile's back and they started swimming towards the lake. On the way, they passed by an island where a turtle lived. The turtle was an old and wise creature who knew everything that happened in the river. He saw the monkey and the crocodile and sensed something was wrong. He called out to them and asked them where they were going. The crocodile told him the same lie he told the monkey. The turtle knew he was lying and decided to help the monkey. He said to the crocodile, "That is very noble of you to take your friend to your wife. But how will you carry him across the land? You know you cannot walk fast on your legs." The crocodile realized his problem and said, "You are right. I did not think of that." The turtle said, "Don't worry. I have an idea. Why don't you tie a rope around your neck and let the monkey hold it in his mouth? That way, he can walk behind you on the land without falling off." The crocodile thought this was a good idea and agreed to do it. He found a rope nearby and tied it around his neck. He asked the monkey to hold it in his mouth. The monkey did not understand why they needed this arrangement, but he trusted his friend and did as he was told. They reached the shore of the lake where the crocodile's home was located. The crocodile said to the monkey, "We are almost there. Just follow me." He started walking towards his home, dragging the rope behind him. The turtle followed them secretly from a distance. As they approached the crocodile's home, they saw his wife waiting for them with a hungry look on her face. She saw the monkey on the rope and said to her husband, "Well done, my dear! You have brought me a delicious meal!" She ran towards them with her mouth open. The monkey was shocked and realized he had been betrayed by his friend. He let go of the rope from his mouth and jumped on a nearby tree. He shouted at the crocodile, "How could you do this to me? You are not my friend! You are a traitor!" The crocodile felt ashamed and guilty for what he had done. He said to the monkey, "I'm sorry, my friend. I did not want to hurt you. But my wife forced me to do this. She wanted to eat your heart." The monkey said, "That is ridiculous! How can she eat my heart when I left it on the mango tree? Don't you know that monkeys keep their hearts outside their bodies?" The crocodile was confused and said, "What? Is that true?" The monkey said, "Yes, of course ! The monkey said, "Yes, of course! That is why I always eat mangoes on the tree. They make my heart sweet and strong. If you want to eat my heart, you have to go back to the tree and get it." The crocodile was gullible and believed the monkey's words. He said to his wife, "We have been fooled! The monkey's heart is not in his body. It is on the mango tree. Come with me. We have to go back and get it." He untied the rope from his neck and jumped into the water with his wife. They swam back to the river where the mango tree was. The monkey saw them leaving and laughed at their stupidity. He said to himself, "That was a close escape! I will never trust a crocodile again!" He thanked the turtle for his help and said, "You are a true friend. You saved my life." The turtle said, "You are welcome, my friend. I am glad you are safe. But be careful next time. Not everyone is as honest as they seem." They both agreed and parted ways. The monkey stayed on the mango tree and enjoyed his fruits. The crocodile and his wife reached the mango tree and searched for the monkey's heart. But they could not find it anywhere. They realized they had been tricked by the monkey. They felt angry and foolish for falling for his lie. They decided to give up and go home. But as they were leaving, they saw a group of hunters coming towards them. The hunters saw them and aimed their guns at them. They shot them dead and took their skins. The monkey saw this from the tree and felt sorry for them. He said to himself, "They were greedy and cruel, but they did not deserve to die like this. Maybe if they had been more kind and honest, they would have lived a happier life." He learned a lesson from this experience and decided to be more careful about choosing his friends. He also decided to share his mangoes with other animals who were nice and friendly. He lived happily ever after on the mango tree.