Animal tales are very important for children’s emotional and intellectual growth. One of the evergreen animal stories, which children love and which exists around the world cross-culturally is The Monkey and the Crocodile. You can find this tale both in the Panchatantra (a collection of fables from ancient India, featuring animal characters) and in children’s literature everywhere. Here is a story that has entertained children for centuries and captivated their minds and hearts with its cast of animal characters, unbelievable events, and meaningful messages about life.
The Monkey and the Crocodile is a fitting choice for preschool-age children because it has familiar animal characters, is written in simple language, and serves both the purpose of a preschool fable and preschool animal story with ease.Additionally, its rich meaningful kids story lends itself naturally to being re-told and utilized as children’s short story or short story for preschool and preschoolers.
Following is a complete retelling of the Monkey and Crocodile Story, its morals, and fun activities to help you engage your audience and recreate the fun villain in this teacher preschool story and other variations.
The Monkey and the Crocodile: The Story
There was once a large quiet river where a very tall, lovingly-shaped jamun tree grew. The branches expressed laughter, the trunk was solid enough to exercise a friendly hippo, and lovingly perched under the leaves was a clever, happy monkey! The jamun tree, with its long-reaching branches, had ripe and sweet jamun berries that the monkey regularly ate. Day after day, the monkey would pick berries a dozen at a time at a time while delicately hanging from branches, playing, jumping, dangling, and dripping fruit during the day in the cooler sunshine and hot sun-dried sugary fruit.
One particular sunny afternoon, a hungry crocodile came ashore for his vacation swim in the slow-moving river. The tired and hungry croc surfaced and looked along behind patches of water lilies and looked up to see the monkey carelessly picking and eating jamun berries. The crocodile raised his voice loud enough to be heard saying that he wanted to be big friends with the monkey and eat jamun berries together.
The kind monkey gently and rather quickly picked some jamun and flung a few to the crocodile. The crocodile tasted the berries, loved them, and said so. So, each day the croc would visit the monkey for lunch and eat jamun with him. They were friends for days and days and established some very true friendships.
But the crocodile’s wife was not happy about their friendship. When she would see him come home with the sweet fruits from their friendship and hear all about it, she would get jealous. She said to her husband, “If the monkey eats that sweet fruit, then he must have a sweet heart, I want to eat his heart!”
The crocodile did not think he could say no but was stunned. The wife was adamant she would get sick if she did not eat the monkey’s heart.
Then one day the crocodile approached the monkey and said, “My wife wants to meet you. Please come visit us on the other side of the river.” The monkey thought nothing of it, and happily agreed to go. Since the monkey could not swim he climbed on the crocodile’s back and the crocodile started to swim to the other side of the river.
When they were about halfway across, the crocodile sunk deep into the water, and the monkey panicked and yelled out, “Why are you doing this to me?”The crocodile replied sadly, “My wife is very very sick and she was told by the doctor your heart will heal her. I must do what she has asked.”
The clever monkey thought on his feet. “Oh dear friend!”I’d be happy to give my heart to save your wife,” said the monkey, “but I put it up in the jamun tree. So let’s just go back so that I can get it.”
The crocodile believed him and turned around. When they reached the bank, the monkey leaped off the crocodile’s back and quickly scrambled to safety up the jamun tree.
While it was looking down from the tree, the monkey shouted, “Foolish crocodile! How can anyone have their heart anywhere but in their body? Return now and inform your wife that her idea was foolish and that you foolishly thought you could trick me.”
And with that, the crocodile, ashamed and defeated, swam away. He never again made an attempt to harm his friend.
Moral Stories for Kids: Lessons for Preschoolers
The story of the monkey and the crocodile is enjoyable and has many valid lessons to provide educational depth in moral stories for kids and storytelling with preschool aged children
1. Outthink Danger
The monkey thinks quickly and saves itself from danger, showing children how intelligence in a calm situation can help them solve difficult problems.
2. Friendship Matters
This story shows, similar to fables, to be wary. A friend can seem friendly and have no good intentions. It will be important for children to evaluate where they can place their trust.
3. Friendship is Grateful and Fair
Friendship includes kindness and is fair regarding respect. The monkey acted selflessly with the crocodile, offering a lesson to children about the importance of altruism.
4. Reliability and Reliability Lesson
The crocodile, who abandons his friend, represents someone who has been relied upon – and mistakes can happen.
Why The Monkey and the Crocodile is Wonderful During Storytime – for Preschoolers
Animal Stories: Children love animal related stories. Monkeys and crocodiles are exciting, and relatable animal characters for young listeners.
Simple Language: The story is a simple story and dialogue that makes it extremely appropriate for preschool engagement.
Engaging Plot: The story moves rather quickly with action and dialogue making it easy for children to stay engaged and participate.
Strong Moral Message: The multiple lessons in this story allows for social and emotional learning while promoting literacy.
Cultural Heritage: As a traditional world story from the Panchatantra, it connects children to the customs and morality associated with storytelling in India.
Preschool Storytelling Ideas
To make this story even more fun and educational, use these ideas for preschool storytelling:
Puppet Play :Make or use puppets to perform the story for an animated performance with the children. You can have the children repeat a phrase, stop to make animal sounds, or to repeat back what the monkey or crocodile said – this encourages participation, rehearsal and memory.
Role Play :Invite children to take turns playing different parts or characters in the story. Encouraging children to listen, read, and play acts of role playing can be a natural progression of better language, confidence, and empathy.
Visual Aids: Illustrate literature or use illustrated/photographed sequenced story cards to visually show this story or guide the children. Visual learners or audio learners will find this representation helpful.
Art and Craft: Have children draw their favorite part or act of the story or make a monkey and crocodile out of a mask.
Moral State After the story, have children answer questions like:
- What did the monkey do when he was in danger?
- Was the crocodile a good friend?
- How should we choose our friends?
By asking questions, children can think outside the act of the story and relate with their own lives and feelings/context.
Expanding Learning with Preschool Fairy Tales
Besides the morals of the fable, the story can be anchored with other preschool fables. Fables have been an effective medium of story-telling in preschool classrooms for several generations, providing young learners and children not only with literacy and reading skills, but also an awareness of cultural institutions. Fables are filled with life lessons, like The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion and the Mouse, and The Fox and the Grapes, which can impart lessons of kindness, honesty, patience, and wit.
Conclusion
The Monkey and the Crocodile is more than a short, entertaining story for preschool – it is a teaching story – both about social values and life/ reading skills for preschool. The “clever story” and “loveable character or characters” will keep this reading “to do or always of children’s animal stories and moral stories for kids.” Remember to weave this highly relatable story into a regular activity of storytelling (not only for the children to hear) but also social and emotional skills development, while also “not only” enjoying the story and cultural learning.
Read Also : 5 Most Popular Kids’ Stories with Moral Lessons Every Child Should Know
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