Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there was a huge tree on the banks of a river.

This tree bore sweet, succulent fruits that were a favorite among the forest
animals. High up in this tree lived a clever monkey. He loved his home and spent
his days eating the fruits and swinging from branch to branch.

On one fateful day, while the monkey was enjoying the fruits, he saw a crocodile
emerging from the river. The crocodile looked tired and hungry. The monkey, being
kind-hearted, called out to him, "Hello there, crocodile! You look exhausted. Would
you like to have some of these delicious fruits?"

The crocodile, indeed hungry, accepted the offer gratefully. He swam up to the
bank, and the monkey threw down a few fruits. The crocodile devoured them and found
them extremely tasty. From that day on, the monkey and the crocodile became good
friends. The monkey would throw down fruits for the crocodile every day, and they
would chat for hours about various things in the forest.

As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, their friendship grew stronger.
The crocodile would look forward to meeting the monkey every day. One day, the
crocodile, in his excitement, decided to take some fruits home for his wife. He
swam back to his home and presented the fruits to his wife. She loved the fruits
and asked where he got them from. The crocodile explained about his friend, the
monkey, who lived on the tree by the river.

The crocodile's wife was very clever and cunning. After eating the fruits, she said
to her husband, "These fruits are delicious, but just imagine how tasty the
monkey's heart would be after eating such wonderful fruits every day! You must
bring me his heart."

The crocodile was shocked and horrified. "How can you think of such a thing?" he
asked. "The monkey is my friend, and I cannot betray him."

But the crocodile's wife was relentless. She insisted, "If you love me, you will
bring me the monkey's heart. Otherwise, I will not eat or drink anything and I will
die."

The crocodile was in a dilemma. He loved his wife dearly, but he also valued his
friendship with the monkey. After much thought, he decided to trick the monkey into
coming home with him.

The next day, the crocodile went to meet the monkey with a heavy heart. The monkey
greeted him with a smile and offered him the usual fruits. The crocodile, trying to
hide his inner turmoil, said, "Dear friend, my wife has heard a lot about you and
the sweet fruits you provide. She has invited you to our home for lunch. Would you
please come with me?"

The monkey, thrilled at the invitation, readily agreed. "I have never been to your
home, and I would love to meet your family," he said.

The crocodile offered the monkey a ride on his back to cross the river. The monkey
hopped on, and they started their journey. Halfway across the river, the crocodile
began to sink. The monkey, feeling the water rising, asked in alarm, "What are you
doing, my friend? Why are you sinking?"

The crocodile, realizing he could no longer deceive the monkey, decided to tell him
the truth. "I am sorry, my friend. My wife desires to eat your heart, and I have no
choice but to fulfill her wish. I am taking you to her."

The monkey was shocked and frightened but quickly composed himself. He realized he
had to think fast to save his life. "Oh, my dear friend," he said calmly, "why
didn't you tell me earlier? I would have gladly given you my heart. But, you see, I
left my heart back on the tree. We need to go back to get it."

The crocodile, not realizing the monkey's cleverness, believed his words. He
thought, "If we go back, I can get the monkey's heart without any trouble." So, he
turned around and swam back to the tree.

As soon as they reached the bank, the monkey quickly jumped off the crocodile's
back and climbed up the tree to safety. From the top of the tree, the monkey called
down to the crocodile, "Oh, foolish crocodile! How can anyone leave their heart
behind? You betrayed our friendship for your selfish desire. Now go back to your
cunning wife and tell her you have been outwitted by a monkey."

The crocodile realized his mistake and felt deep remorse. He apologized to the
monkey, "I am sorry, my friend. I let my wife's greed blind me. I hope you can
forgive me."

The monkey, though hurt by the betrayal, was wise and compassionate. "I forgive
you," he said, "but remember this: True friendship is built on trust and loyalty.
Never let anyone sway you from what is right."

The crocodile thanked the monkey for his forgiveness and swam back home, determined
to never let anyone corrupt his principles again. The monkey continued to live
happily in his tree, wiser from the experience but still kind-hearted and generous.

And so, the friendship between the monkey and the crocodile ended, but the lesson
of trust and loyalty remained, a timeless reminder of the values that hold
friendships together.

This story from the Panchatantra teaches us the importance of trust, loyalty, and
clever thinking. While the monkey's quick wit saved his life, the crocodile's
betrayal serves as a lesson on the consequences of letting greed and deceit
overshadow genuine friendship.