In the heart of the forest, lived a clever monkey on a fig tree by the river. His days were filled with eating ripe figs and watching the world go by.

One day, a crocodile came out of the river. He saw the monkey eating figs and was intrigued. 'Those figs look delicious,' he said, 'Can I have some?'

The monkey, being generous, threw some figs to the crocodile. The crocodile loved them and came back every day for more. They became good friends over time.

One day, the crocodile's wife tasted the figs and wondered, 'If the figs are this delicious, how tasty would the monkey be who eats them all day?' She urged the crocodile to bring the monkey to her.

The next day, the crocodile invited the monkey to his home for a feast. The monkey, unsuspecting of any danger, happily climbed onto the crocodile's back.

While crossing the river, the crocodile confessed his wife's plan. The monkey was shocked but quickly thought of a plan to save his life.

'Oh no!' cried the monkey. 'I left my tasty heart on the tree. If I'm going to be your feast, I must go back and fetch it.' The gullible crocodile swam back to the tree.

The moment they reached the shore, the monkey leapt off the crocodile’s back and climbed up his tree to safety. 'My heart is inside me, you fool!' he shouted from above.

The crocodile realized his mistake. He felt ashamed of his deceit and apologized to the monkey. 'I should never have listened to my wife without considering our friendship,' he lamented.

The monkey forgave the crocodile but decided to end their friendship. 'You tried to eat me, and that's not what friends do,' said the monkey. The crocodile left with a heavy heart.

From that day on, the monkey lived happily on his fig tree, being more cautious of who he trusted. He continued to be the clever creature of the forest.

And the crocodile, he learned a valuable lesson about the importance of true friendship and the consequences of deceit. He never forgot the monkey’s clever trick.