him across. Just before they reached the bank, the
monkey jumped to land, ran as fast as he could, and climbed up a tree
where his mate was. The crocodile could not follow, of course: so he
returned to the water, saying, "The time will come when you shall pay."

Not long afterwards the monkey found the crocodile lying motionless,
as if dead. About the place were some low Chile pepper-bushes loaded
with numerous bright-red fruits like ornaments on a Christmas tree. The
monkey approached the crocodile, and began playing with his tail;
but the crocodile made a sudden spring, and seized the monkey so
tightly that he could not escape. "Think first, think first!" said the
monkey. "Mark you, Mr. Crocodile! I am now the cook of his Majesty the
king. Those bright-red breads have been intrusted to my care," and the
monkey pointed to the pepper-shrubs. "The moment you kill me, the king
will arrive with thousands of well-armed troops, and will punish you."

The crocodile was frightened by what the monkey said. "Mr. Monkey,
I did not mean to harm you," he said. "I will set you free if you will
let me eat only as many pieces of bread as will relieve my hunger."

"Eat all you can," responded the monkey kindly. "Take as many as you
please. They are free to you."

Without another word, the crocodile let the monkey go, and rushed
at the heavily-laden bushes. The monkey slipped away secretly,
and climbed up a tree, where he could enjoy the discomfiture of his
voracious friend. The crocodile began to cough, sneeze, and scratch
his tongue. When he rushed to the river to cool his mouth, the monkey
only laughed at him.

MORAL: Use your own judgment; do not rely on the counsel of others,
for it is the father of destruction and ruin.

Notes.

Like the monkey and the turtle, the monkey and the crocodile have
been traditional enemies from time immemorial. In our present group
of stories, however, the roles are reversed: the monkey is clever;
the water-animal (crocodile), cruel and stupid. Two very early
forms of this tale are the "Vanarinda-jataka," No. 57, which tells
how the crocodile lay on a rock to catch the monkey, and how the
latter outwitted the crocodile; and the "Sumsumara-jataka," No. 208,
in which a crocodile wanted the heart of a monkey, and the monkey
pretended that it was hanging on a fig-tree. From the Buddhistic
writings the story made its way into the famous collection known
as the "Kalilah and Dimnah," of which it fo