“Beware of the crocodile while passing by the river,” Tina Monkey warned her son Chintu Monkey while helping him put the schoolbag on his back.
“Crocodile? What’s that?” asked Chintu.
“ Haven’t you learnt about the crocodile in school?”asked Tina.
“You mean ghost? I am not afraid of ghosts!” said Chintu.
“It’s not a ghost. It’s a reptile with a thick skin, a strong tail, a huge mouth and beady eyes. It can walk on land and swim in water," explained Tina.
“But that’s an elephant and not a croco.. er..what did you call it, Mom?”
“Crocodile. A big crocodile has come to the river. I heard that it killed a goat that had gone to the river to drink water. I want you to be careful when you pass by the river.”
“All right, Mom, I’ll be careful,” said Chintu, waving goodbye to his mother.
As he walked to school, he thought about the strange creature called the crocodile that had made its home in the river.
“I’m not scared of that crocodile. If it comes near me, I will break its head with my water bottle!” he told himself. “And I’ll kick his face with my shoe and poke his eyes out with my umbrella! ”
When he reached the riverside, curiosity got the better of him and he climbed up a tree to catch a glimpse of the crocodile. He looked all along the length of the river but couldn’t see the crocodile.
“Mom must have cooked up this story just to keep me from the river,” sighed Chintu as he climbed down from the tree. “There is no creature called crocodile in this world.”
“What did you say?” asked a voice from behind. “If there are no crocodiles in the world, pray, who am I?”
Turning back, Chintu asked, “Who said that?”
“I said it!” said the crocodile, and whipping a log with his tail, he cut it into two.
“Who are you?” shouted Chintu frightened.
“I am a CROCODILE!!” said the crocodile, opening its mouth wide.
“It must be the creature that mom had warned me about!” thought Chintu.
“Okay, I believe you. There are crocodiles in this world. Let me go or I will be late for school,” saying that Chintu started moving backwards.
“Don’t move! I am going to eat you up right now” said the crocodile and started moving towards him slowly.
Chintu thought fast of a way to escape. He quickly emptied his schoolbag in front of the crocodile.