PT4-01-Croc&CleverMonkey
Panchatantra Stories  
பஞ்சதந்திரம் pañca-tantiram , n. pañcan +. The Tamil version of Pañca-tantra consisting of five books, viz., mittira-pētam, cukirl- lāpam, canti-vikkirakam, artta-nācam, acampirēṭciya-kārittuvam; மித்திரபேதம், சுகிர்ல்லாபம், சந்திவிக்கிரகம், அர்த்தநாசம், அசம்பிரேட்சியகாரித்து வம் என ஐம்பகுதியுடையதாய்த் தமிழில் மொழிபெயர்க் கப்பட்ட நூல்.
1. மித்திரபேதம் = mittira-pētam = Sowing discord among friends.
2. சுகிர்ல்லாபம் = cukir-l-lāpam = the acquisition of friends.
3. சந்திவிக்கிரகம் canti-vikkirakam  = Associating with a foe with a view to ruin him.
4. அர்த்தநாசம் artta-nācam  = Loss of wealth.
5. அசம்பிரேட்சியகாரித்துவம் a-campirēṭciya-kārittuvam , n. a-sam-prēkṣya-kāri-tva. Action without forethought.
Inspiration: N.Natchiyappan

1.       A monkey, living on the riverside, climbed up the tree and ate fruits, some of which fell in the river, making plunking sounds. Fascinate with the sounds, the monkey went to each branch and shook them, making the ripe fruits fall in the river and the shade of the tree. A river crocodile passing that way in the river ate the fruits and, finding the monkey up the tree, addressed it, "My dear friend! The fruits that you shook off the tree are unbelievably delicious, so I will not separate from you."

 

2.       As the monkey shook the tree branches, the crocodile ate the fallen fruits and stayed there for several days. The crocodile's wife worried over the missing husband and asked her female friend to go searching for him. The emissary located the king crocodile in the river below the fruit tree and told him, "O king! The queen appears emaciated for not returning home. Your separation from the queen has given her fever and emaciation. You must come home to make the queen better." 

 

3.       The crocodile replied, "My dear emissary! The monkey has become my life companion. Leaving the monkey is impossible for me. You said my wife is ill, which causes me unhappiness. But I cannot leave this place. What am I going to do?" The emissary thought the monkey must have given the crocodile king enchantment powder to stop the king from leaving that part of the river. Only by killing the monkey, the king's Buddhi will come to its senses. The emissary spoke to the king, "Dear king! Your wife's sickness did not respond to prescribed medications. The senior physician says that a monkey's liver will save her. For that to take place, make all the arrangements and return home. Otherwise, the queen's life is in danger." 

 

 4.    The emissary's proposal confused the king. Where would the king go for a monkey's liver? It knows only one monkey, which is its bosom friend, and killing it is a sin. If it spares the monkey, the queen will die. 

  Should it kill the monkey or lose the queen? After much thought, the croc decided to save the queen. 

 

5.       When the king was sulking, the monkey returned to the tree and asked the croc what the problem was. 

 

6.       The croc spoke, "Dear friend! I remained with you thus far. Since my wife is ill, I had to leave you. That is my worry."

 

7.       The monkey: "Now itself, you leave and return later. There is no need for you to hesitate."

 

8.       The croc: "Yes, I must leave now. I cannot remain away from you for a second, so you come along with me."

 

9.       The monkey: "Your habitat is water, while mine is earth and tree. How can I go with you?"

 

10.  The croc: "Ride on my back. We will come back soon." 

 

11.  As advised by the croc, the monkey rode on the back of the croc to the destination. On the way, the croc's mind was in a state of confusion.

 

12.  The croc: "The jeweler rubs the metal on the stone to know whether it is gold. Man's character is knowable by his speech. By comparison, we can discover the cheat from the virtuous. But there is no way they know the mind of a woman. I decided to kill my dear simian friend. Could this be the scheme by my wife? Is it the betrayal by the emissary? I do not know." The croc kept silent. The monkey discovered its confusion and said, "My friend! What is the reason your face looks unhappy? Is your wife in any danger? Tell me as it is, without hiding your thoughts from me." 

 

13.  The croc with crocodile tears said, "My friend! What am I to tell you? My wife is terminally ill. The doctors tell a monkey's liver will cure the disease. Where would I go for a simian liver?" 

 

14.  The monkey understood the croc's intent and said, "Boo! You are so worried about this. How many simian livers do you need? Could it be a hundred?"

 

15.  The croc: "Not that many. Just one." 

 

16.  The monkey: "See that tall tree with the hanging livers. Could you not have told me that earlier? You tell me this after traveling so long. Let us go back. I will bring a liver or two and plenty of fruits for your wife." 

 

17.  The croc brought the monkey back to the riverside. As the croc neared the side, the monkey leaped in one long jump and climbed up the tree. 

 

18.  The croc noticed that the monkey did not come down for a long time and called out to the monkey, "Friend! Come down with the liver quickly." 

 

19.  The monkey: "My dear croc! Why are you waiting with your desire? The frog became friends and put its trust in a snake, which finally ate the friendly frog. Let us end our friendship just now. Do not think You could cheat me anymore."  

 

20.  "Those who listened to a woman subjected themselves to ridicule. You thought of killing me for the sake of your wife. It is evil." 

 

21.  As the monkey talked to the croc king, another croc came along and broke the news that the queen croc just died. 

 

22.  Knowing the queen died, the king croc was sad and addressed the monkey, "I am a sinner. I lost my dear wife. I wanted to kill you to save my wife, and I lost your precious friendship." 

 

23.  The monkey: "Your wife asked you to kill me and is a wicked person. You must not grieve over an evil person. Give up your grief. Go back to your place."

 

24.  The croc king went back to its place and saw another croc in its place. The king came back to the monkey and asked for advice. 

 

25.  The monkey: "Advice to the evildoers brings evil."

 

26.  The croc: "Yes, I thought of harming you. But you must show mercy to me and advise me."

 

27.  The monkey: "You go back to your place and fight with the croc that took your place. If you lose the battle and die, you will go to hero's heaven. It would help if you lived in your place. The new place will give you problems. Go back to your place. Since you are on the righteous side, you will succeed. You may go now." 

 

28.  The croc king went back, fought with the newcomer, and killed it. 

 

29.  It remained in its place as the incomparable king and lived happily for a long time.