The Monkey and the Crocodile

Introduction

Hello Learners, we will be exploring the short story “The Monkey and the Crocodile”, which is the sixth chapter of the textbook English Supplementary Reader A Pact with the Sun. Every story has a purpose. We must be aware of this purpose because it will help us to understand the conflict in the story better. It is important to understand the characters and the universe in which these characters are set. This story is set in a village that has a water body right next to it. As it is clear from the title Monkey and Crocodile are the central characters.

Story Summary

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This is a story from Panchatantra. In this story, there is a lonely monkey on a fruit tree and is looking for a companion to talk to.

The monkey is happy but wants to get rid of his loneliness. One fine day a crocodile visits the monkey to get some fruits for himself and his wife. The visits of the crocodile become frequent and they both become friends. They used to chat for long times and discuss various aspects of the village and animal kingdom with each other. The monkey always fed the crocodile and always sent fruits to his wife.

One day they talked for a very long time and this resulted in the crocodile getting late while returning. His wife and infants were alone, and the wife got annoyed and asked the details about the friend i.e. the money. The wife said that she wants to eat the monkey's heart, the crocodile argues against this, but eventually ends up agreeing with his wife. The crocodile goes back to get the monkey so that his wife can feast on his heart.

While they were coming back to the Crocodiles' house, he reveals the plan to the monkey. The monkey gets afraid and stressed but soon comes up which an idea to save himself. He tells the crocodile that he has left his heart in the tree himself and needs to get him so that his wife can beat him. The crocodile takes the monkey back to the tree and the monkey immediately jumps and goes back to the tree. The monkey throws some fruits and says goodbye to the crocodile. The crocodile feels sad and ends up crying genuine tears.

Moral of the Story

Well, the moral of the story is pretty simple, never betray your friends. Otherwise, you will be left with nothingness.

A Question to Think About

What does the last sentence of the story suggest? What would the crocodile tell his wife?

FAQs

Q1: The monkey was happy living in the fruit tree, but his happiness was not complete. What did he miss?

Ans: Even though the monkey was living a happy life and enjoying himself. Going from tree to tree and eating fruits, he did not have friends. He did not have a companion to talk to. This affected his mind and he started feeling lonely. This psychological state of the monkey left him in search of a friend. We all need friends and loved ones to live a happy and complete life. The monkey was missing this.

Q2: What did the two friends generally talk about?

Ans: As the crocodile visited often the two became best friends. They talked and shared their feelings and thoughts about various aspects of village life. They spoke about the other inhabitants of the village. They spoke about animals and birds. They also spoke about other villages and most importantly the difficulties faced by the villagers to grow a crop. This tells us that the two friends shared a great bond and their relationship was full of care, respect, and kindness.

Q3: Why was the crocodile’s wife annoyed with her husband one day?

Ans: The crocodiles’ wife was waiting for her husband to get some food for her and the new-born crocodiles. She kept waiting but couldn’t see a sight of the crocodile. The husband finally returned and he got some fruits for the wife. The wife was bored of seeing the same fruits every day and wanted a change of taste and demanded the monkey’s heart, to which the husband objected and they had an argument. All this sequence of events made the wife feel extremely annoyed with the crocodile.

Q4: Why was the crocodile unwilling to invite his friend home?

Ans: The crocodile was unwilling to invite his friend home because he knew that will lead to the demise of his friend. The crocodile considered him a good friend and thus wanted to maintain a cordial and healthy relationship. He knew that if he invited the monkey home, there is a very high chance that the wife will eat the monkey, and since he is a crocodile he won't be able to resist it either. However, at a later point in the story we see that the crocodile had a change of heart but not in a good way.

Q5: What did the crocodile tell the monkey midstream?

Ans: The crocodile revealed the eventual plan. He told the monkey that the plan was to eat his heart. This made the money stressed and worried. However, the monkey figured out a way and saved himself from the evil plans of the crocodile and his wife. This was the moment when we realise that the monkey is smart and clever but the crocodile is not. We can ask a question as to what would have happened if the crocodile hadn’t shared his plan with the monkey.

Q6: How did the monkey save himself?

Ans: The monkey devised a plan of escape. He told the crocodile that the wife is right and deserves his heart. This made him gain the confidence of the crocodile. He convinced the crocodile to take him back to the tree where he said that he left his heart. The crocodile takes him back to the tree and as soon as they reach, the crocodile jumps and goes to the tree and never comes back. This is how the monkey saved himself from the crocodile’s evil plan.