STORY OF PANCHTANTRA

MONKEY'S HEART

On a big Jamun tree, near a river lived a monkey. The tree was always laden with juicy jamuns. The monkey ate the jamuns and also gave them to his friends.One day a crocodile came out of the river and stopped under the tree."Won't you have some jamuns?" called the monkey. "They are delicious."He threw some down to the crocodile.The crocodile liked them. "They're very sweet," he said. "They're the best I've ever had."The two became close friends. The crocodile would come every day to meet the monkey. And the monkey would give him sweet jamuns. The crocodile would eat some and take the rest home for his wife. She too found them delicious."Where do you find these delicious jamuns?" she asked him one day. "I've never eaten such sweet fruit before!""I've made a new friend, my dear. A monkey," the crocodile replied. "He's a monkey who lives on a jamun tree. He very kindly shares the fruit with me."His wife thought, 'A monkey who eats such sweet jamuns must be very delicious himself. I wish I could get to eat him!'She said, "Husband dear, I'd love to meet your friend. Why don't you bring him home one day?'But the crocodile knew the monkey could not swim and would not be able to come. So he did not ask him.Each day his wife's longing increased. Finally she though of a way to make the crocodile bring his friend home. She pretended to be very sick. She even shed some tears-crocodile tears, of course!"What's the matter, dear?" the worried crocodile asked. "Can I get you some medicine?""A-ah!" his wife groaned. "The doctor said only a monkey's heart can cure me.""What! A monkey's heart?" the crocodile asked."Yes. You will have to get your friend's heart if you want me to get well.""But he's my best friend. I can't kill him!" the crocodile said. "That shows you care more for him than you do for me," the wife said. "You don't care if I die!""Now, now, dear," said the crocodile, "let me see what I can do."But the crocodile did not know what to do. He did not want to kill his friend. And he did not want his wife to die either.'I can't let my wife die,' the crocodile thought and decided to bring her the monkey's heart. Now, how was he going to do that? It would not be easy. His friend was not stupid.He went to the jamun tree where the monkey had been waiting for him."What's the matter, friend?" asked the monkey, "Why are you so late? You look sad. Is something wrong?""My wife is very angry with me," the wily crocodile replied. "She says that I always feast on your jamuns, but I never invite you home. She has invited you for dinner today. Will you come? Your home is in the water and I can't swim.""Oh, don't worry about that," the crocodile said. "We live on a sand bank near the river. I could carry you there on my back.""Is that so?" asked the monkey. "Then I'd love to come." He jumped onto his friend's back happily. The crocodile swam out of the river. Halfway through, he started to dive into the water. The monkey was very scared."Stop, stop!" he cried. "I will drown if you do that.""I am sorry my friend," the crocodile said. "But I have to kill you. My wife is very ill. The doctor says only a monkey's heart can cure her."The monkey knew he had to save his life somehow."Is that all?" he asked in a friendly voice. "I wish you had told me earlier, dear friend. You see, I keep my heart hidden away safely in a hole in the jamun tree. I would have brought it with me if I had known that your wife needed it.""Really?" the crocodile said. "Then let's go back and get it." He was relieved that he would not have to kill his friend after all.The crocodile swam right back to the jamun tree. The monkey jumped off as soon as they reached the riverbank and climbed up the tree.When he was safe on the highest branch he said, "You are the biggest fool I've ever known. Do you really believe I keep heart in the tree? Go back to your greedy wife and never come here again."And that was the end of their friendship.