“Monkey, dear!” called the Crocodile, again.
“Well, what is it?” asked the Monkey.
“I’m sure you must be hungry,” said Mr. Crocodile. “I see you have eaten all the fruit on these trees; but why don’t you try the trees on the other side of the river? Just look, apples, pears, quinces, plums, anything you could wish for! And heaps of them!”
“That is all very well,” said the Monkey. “But how can I get across a wide river like this?”
“Oh!” said the cunning Crocodile, “that is easily managed. I like your looks, and I want to do you a good turn. Jump on my back, and I’ll swim across; then you can enjoy yourself!”
Never had the Monkey had an offer so tempting. He swung round a branch three times in his joy; his eyes glistened, and without thinking a moment, down he jumped on the Crocodile’s back.
The Crocodile began to swim slowly across. The Monkey fixed his eyes on the opposite bank with its glorious fruit trees, and danced for joy. Suddenly he felt the water about his feet! It rose to his legs, it rose to his middle. The Crocodile was sinking!
“Mr. Crocodile! Mr. Crocodile! take care!” said he. “You’ll drown me!”
“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the Crocodile, snapping his great jaws. “So you thought I was taking you across out of pure good nature! You are a green monkey, to be sure. The truth is, my wife has taken a fancy to you, and wants your heart to eat! If you had seen her crying this morning, I am sure you would have pitied her.”
“What a good thing you told me!” said the Monkey. (He was a very clever Monkey, and had his wits about him.) “Wait a bit, and I’ll tell you why. My heart, I think you said? Why, I never carry my heart inside me; that would be too dangerous. If we Monkeys went jumping about the trees with our hearts inside, we should knock them to bits in no time.”