(Green Monkey: Wikipedia)
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Once there was a Monkey named
Brahmaddata king of the Banares. The king was wondering through a dense jungle near
the Ganges River. He was looking for food and drink after his long trek. Upon arrival
at the river he began drinking the water and decided to take a rest. It was
there he met a female crocodile.
“Hello!”
said the Crocodile.
The king found
this enthusiastic greeting curious and responded, “Hello Crocodile, what to you
need of me Brahmadatta, king the Benares.”
The Crocodile replied “I know who you are dear king.
It seems you seen exhausted after your long journey, are you hungry?”
The king
was puzzled by these kind words from a Crocodile and said “I am indeed hungry my
friend. Do you know where I could find a fruit tree?”
The Crocodile
smiled “I do my king please follow me down the river to where the there is
enough fruit to fill your stomach.”
The monkey
king and the Crocodile began traveling downstream. The Crocodile seemed especially
happy to be traveling with her king. Upon reaching their destinations the king began
to be overcome with the feeling of gluttony. On the other side of the river was
enough fruit to fill his stomach for weeks.
The king said,
“My dear Crocodile, how will I reach the other side.”
The Crocodile
looked deviously “You could swim of course, my king. Just of the other side of
this river is enough food to fill your stomach.
The king
looked concerned “I cannot swim and would drown. Perhaps I could ride on your
back to the other side?”
The Crocodile
overwelled with joy “It would be an honor my king.”
The Monkey
king then got on the back of the Crocodile and began their journey across the
river. Once reaching the halfway point in the river the Crocdile said “You know
my king I am hungry as well.”
It this
point the Crocodile dove underwater leaving the king to drown. After it was
done she enjoy a nice meal.
Author's Note:
My story is similar to the
original, however with a few key differences. First, the
original was told in the from the perspective of the Crocodile. Second, the monkey, Brahmadatta, did not die.
The last main difference is the crocodile’s wife was not involved after
the beginning of the story. I had also made the king a little more
gullible with a larger ego then he seemed in the original story.
"The Monkey and the
Crocodile" from Eastern Stories
and Legends by Marie L. Shedlock. The Monkey and the Crocodile.
Hi Jonathan! It was interesting to read the story with the roles reversed where the monkey was the one who actually asked to ride on the crocodile’s back in order to get to the other side of the river. It seems just then that the monkey was eaten by the crocodile because he was being careless and greedy to wan the food on the other side.
ReplyDeleteHey there again, Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteThis story was a very cool read. I had not come across this story from the reading, so this was a fresh story for me. I found that the changes you made were a nice touch on the story. The king was way too gullible and confident in his status as the king. He assumed that no one would be out to get him. He should have been way more cautious and not agreed to ride across on the crocodile.