There once lived a monkey on a big fig tree beside a wide river, and every day he ate the tree's delicious fruit and felt happy and content.

One day, the monkey became friends with a crocodile who lived in the river, and every day he would toss some sweet figs to his new friend.

The crocodile's wife loved the taste of the figs so much that she grew jealous of the monkey's kind heart, and asked her husband to bring it to her to eat.

Reluctantly, the crocodile agreed, and invited the monkey to visit his home in the middle of the river. The monkey climbed onto the crocodile's back, and off they went into the water.

Halfway across, the crocodile admitted the truth — that he wanted the monkey's heart for his wife. Thinking quickly, the monkey calmly said, "You should have told me before we left! I left my heart hanging on the tree — let's go back and I'll fetch it for you."

The crocodile believed the trick and swam back to the tree. The monkey leaped swiftly onto the highest branch and said, "How could my heart be with me while I am talking and walking? I will never trust you again," and escaped the danger through his own cleverness.

The Lesson: Wisdom and quick thinking can save us from the most difficult situations.