By the river stood a great berry tree, and in it lived a monkey — leaping, swinging, eating sweet berries all day long. Now and then a berry slipped and dropped into the water below. Plop!
One day a crocodile crawled up under the tree — tired and very hungry. The monkey tossed a few berries down. "Eat up, friend!" The crocodile took a bite and his eyes went wide. "My! Sweeter than honey!" After that he came back every day.
The crocodile carried some berries home to his wife. She tasted one and her eyes narrowed. "If he eats fruit this sweet every day, how sweet his heart must be! Go and bring it to me." The crocodile went cold all over. But at last he gave in.
The next day the crocodile called up the tree, "Friend! You're invited to my home today. Hop on my back!" The monkey swung down and jumped on, so happy. Splish, splash — and right in the middle of the river, the crocodile stopped.
Deep water on every side. In a heavy voice the crocodile said, "Forgive me, friend. My wife wants to eat your sweet heart." The monkey's heart went thump. But he did not cry and he did not scream. He kept very still and made himself think.
All at once the monkey laughed out loud. "Oh — is THAT all? I left my heart back home, in a hole in the berry tree!" The silly crocodile swam straight back to shore. And the moment they touched land — one leap, and up the tree. "Who keeps his heart outside his body?"
The crocodile hung his head. "Forgive me, friend. Greed nearly made me trick the one true friend I had." The monkey only smiled and dropped a few berries down — plip, plop. "Here — take some for your wife too. Sharing something sweet is what makes a heart sweet."