Now it so happened that the crocodile’s wife cast a longing eye on this Monkey. She was very dainty in her eating, was Mrs. Crocodile, and she liked the tit-bits. So one morning she began to cry. Crocodile’s tears are very big, and as her tears dropped into the water, splash, splash, splash, Mr. Crocodile woke up from his snooze, and looked round to see what was the matter.
“Why, wife,” said he, “what are you crying about?”
“I’m hungry!” whimpered Mrs. Crocodile.
“All right,” said he, “wait a while. I’ll soon catch you something.”
“But I want that Monkey’s heart!” said Mrs. Crocodile. Splash, splash, splash, went her tears again.
“Come, come, cheer up,” said Mr. Crocodile. He was very fond of his wife, and he would have wiped away her tears, only he had no pocket-handkerchief. “Cheer up!” said he; “I’ll see what I can do.”
His wife dried her tears, and Mr. Crocodile lay down again on the mud, thinking. He thought for a whole hour. You see, though he was very big, he was very stupid. At last he heaved a sigh of relief, for he thought he had hit upon a clever plan.
He wallowed along the bank to a place just underneath a big tree. Up on the tree our Monkey was swinging by his tail, and chattering to himself.
“Monkey!” he called out, in the softest voice he could manage. It was not very soft, something like a policeman’s rattle; but it was the best he could do, with all those sharp teeth.
The Monkey stopped swinging, and looked down. The Crocodile had never spoken to him before, and he felt rather surprised.