英语小故事TheMonkeyandTheCrocodile猴子与鳄鱼(精美彩色插图).doc

TheMonkey&tliECrocodileRetoldfromthePanchatantrambyRohiniChowdhuryOncetherelivedamonkeyinajamuntreebyariver.Themonkeywasalone-hehadnofriends,nofamily,buthewashappyandcontent.Thejamuntreegavehimplentyofsweetfruittoeat,andshadefromthesunandshelterfromtherain.Onedayacrocodilecameswimminguptheriverandclimbedontothebanktorestunderthemonkey'stree.'Hello',calledthemonkey,whowasafriendlyanimal.'Hello',repliedthecrocodile,surprised.'DoyouknowwhereIcangetsomefood?'heasked.'Ihaven'thadanythingtoeatallday-therejustdon'tseemtobeanyfishleftintheriver.''Well,'saidthemonkey,'Idon'teatfishsoIwouldn'tknow-butIdohaveplentyofripepurplejamunsinmytree.Wouldyouliketotrysome?'Hethrewsomedowntothecrocodile.Thecrocodilewassohungrythatheateupallthejamunseventhoughcrocodilesdon'teatfruit.Helovedthesweettangyfruitandshylyaskedwhetherhecouldhavesomemore.'Ofcourse',repliedthemonkeygenerously,throwingdownmorefruit.'Comebackwheneveryoufeellikemorefruit',headdedwhenthecrocodilehadeatenhisfill.Afterthatthecrocodilewouldvisitthemonkeyeveryday.Thetwoanimalssoonbecamefriends-theywouldtalkandtelleachotherstories,andeatasmuchofthesweetjamunsastheywanted.Themonkeywouldthrowdownallthefruitthecrocodilewantedfromhistree.Onedaythecrocodilebegantalkingabouthiswifeandfamily.'Whydidn'tyoutellmeearlierthatyouhadawife?'askedthemonkey.'Pleasetakesomeofthejamunsforheraswellwhenyougobacktoday.'Thecrocodilethankedhimandtooksomeofthefruitforhiswife.Thecrocodile'swifelovedthejamuns.Shehadnevereatenanythingsosweetbefore.'Imagine',shesaid,'howsweetwouldbethecreaturewhoeatsthesejamunseveryday.Themonkeyhaseatentheseeverydayofhislife-hisfleshwouldbeevensweeterthanthefruit.'Sheaskedherhusbandtoinvitethemonkeyforameal-'andthenwecaneathimup'shesaidhappily.Thecrocodilewasappalled-howcouldheeathisfriend?Hetriedtoexplaintohiswifethathecouldnotpossiblyeatthemonkey.'Heismyonlytruefriend',hesaid.Butshewouldnotlisten-shemusteatthemonkey.'Sincewhendocrocodileseatfruitandspareanimals?'sheasked.Whenthecrocodilewouldnotagreetoeatthemonkey,shepretendedtofallverysick.'Onlyamonkey'sheartcancureme',shewailedtoherhusband.'Ifyoulovemeyouwillgetyourfriendthemonkeyandletmeeathisheart.'Thepoorcrocodiledidnotknowwhattodo-hedidnotwanttoeathisfriend,buthecouldnotlethiswifedie.Atlasthedecidedtobringthemonkeytohiswife.'Odearfriend',hecalledassoonasreachedthejamuntree.'Mywifeinsiststhatyoucometousforameal.Sheisgratefulforallthefruitthatyouhavesenther,andasksthatIbringyouhomewithme.'Themonkeywasflattered,butsaidhecouldnotpossiblygobecausehedidnotknowhowtoswim.'Don'tworryaboutthat',saidthecrocodile.'I'llcarryyouonmyback.'Themonkeyagreedandjumpedontothecrocodile'sback.Thecrocodileswamwithhimoutintothedeepwideriver.Whentheywerefarawayfromthebankandthejamuntree,hesaid,'Mywifeisveryill.Theonlythingthatwillcureherisamonkey'sheart.So,dearfriend,thiswillbetheendofyouandofourfriendship.'Themonkeywashorrified.Whatcouldhedotosavehimself?Hethoughtquicklyandsaid'Dearfriend,Iamverysorrytohearofyourwife'sillnessandIamgladthatIwillbeabletohelpher.ButIhaveleftmyheartbehindonthejamuntree.DoyouthinkwecouldgobacksothatIcanfetchitforyourwife?'Thecrocodilebelievedthemonkey.Heturnedandswamquicklytothejamuntree.Themonkeyleapedoffhisbackandintothesafetyofhistree.'Falseandfoolishfriend,'hecalled.'Don'tyouknowthatwecarryourheartswithinus?Iwillnevertrustyouagainorevergiveyoufruitfrommytree.Goawayanddon'tcomebackagain.'Thecrocodilefeltreallyfoolish-hehadlostafriendandasupplyofgoodsweetfruit.Themonkeyhadsavedhimselfbecausehehadthoughtquickly.Herealisedthatamonkeyandacrocodilecouldneverbetruefriends-crocodilespreferredtoeatmonkeysratherthanbefriendswiththem.。