The female crocodile who wanted to eat the monkey's heart

When in one of his former births, the Buddha was born as a monkey, called Mahakabin, he was powerful and lived in the forest near the river in which there was a small island in the middle. That island had every kind of fruit for his food. Between the river and the shore there was a sand bank. The monkey leaped from the shore to the sand bank first, then to the island.

Mean while there were two crocodiles, female and male, who lived in the river. Latter on the female crocodile was with child and wanted to eat the monkey's heart, then she told her husband " I am eager to eat a monkey's heart. If you can not find one for me, I will die and leave you alone."

The male crocodile said " Oh, darling! Do not worry. If you are eager to eat it, let me bring it for you, because I see every day a big monkey who crosses the river to the island. Usually he stops on the sand bank before, he goes to the island, I will swim and creep on that island to kill him for you."

The crocodile swam to the island and crept on to the sand bank to cover it. He thought that the monkey would think that he was the sand bank. When the monkey came back from the island at sunset, he leaped over from the shore of the river and he almost leaped on the bank which the crocodile covered, he saw the crocodile on the bank.

Then the monkey wondered " This bank is always as high as the surface of the water and why is this bank higher today? Maybe there is some ferocious animal who is lying on it and wants to kill me " and then the monkey called the bank of sand " Oh, friend Sand water, but today you are Bank ! You are always as high as the surface of the higher. How can you grow so high? "

The monkey repeated this sentence three times. When the crocodile heard the monkey call the sand bank, he thought that the bank was not talking to the monkey, because he covered it, then he pretended to be the sand bank and replied " Oh, friend monkey I am not higher than yesterday. Please leap on me! "

The monkey said " Oh, poor animal, my bank does not know how to talk. Who are you? " The crocodile told the monkey " I am the king of the crocodile who live in this river." The monkey asked the crocodile, " why do you sleep on this bank? " The crocodile said " Oh monkey! I want your heart for my wife, because she is eager to eat your heart."

" If you need my life, Please open your mouth widely and close your eyes, I will jump into your mouth " said the monkey, " and be sure to close your mouth. " Then the monkey saw that it was a good chance to leap to pass to the shore. He then jump on the crocodile's body and from there leaped on to the shore as fast as an arrow.

When the crocodile thought the monkey passed over his back could not catch him, he was very sorry to be out witted by the monkey, and he left the sand for his own place in the river.

Reference: www.gocambodia.com