Once upon a time a jackal lived in a vast jungle. Many rivers flowed through this jungle.
One day, the jackal was hungry and went looking for food. His wanderings brought him to the bank of a river Here, a strong smell came to the jackal’s nostrils and he found it very interesting. It was the smell of rotting elephant flesh and the jackal’s mouth watered.
However, the dead elephant was on the other side of the river. The jackal thought of a way to go across the river. Suddenly, he remembered the crocodile who lived in the river.
The crocodile
The jackal called out to the crocodile. “ Hello, my friend, I need to talk to you”.
The crocodile heard the jackal and wondered who it was. He surfaced and saw the jackal waiting for him.
“Hello, my friend, what can I do for you”? asked the crocodile.
“ My dear friend said, the crafty jackal. I have some very good news for you. I met a young girl crocodile who will be an ideal wife for you. She lives on the other bank”.
The crocodile was overjoyed at this news.
“ Dear friend, how can I see her? the crocodile eagerly asked the jackal.
“ Oh, that is no problem. First, I will get her parent’s permission Then, you can meet her. But to do this I have to cross the river and get to the other bank. So, first I must find a way to get across”.
That is not a problem”. Jump on to my back and I will get you across “ said the crocodile.
The crocodile swam up to the bank and the jackal climbed on to his back.
The strong crocodile quickly took the jackal to the other bank.
The jackal jumped off the crocodile’s back and on to the bank.
“Stay here till I return, the jackal told the crocodile.
Then, the jackal went in search of the elephant’s carcass .
He found it and enjoyed a hearty meal. He ate till he could eat no more but still there was a huge amount of elephant flesh left.
The jackal realised that he would have to come back the next day and thought of a plan.
He returned to the river bank where the crocodile was waiting impatiently.
As soon as he saw the jackal, the crocodile, the jackal asked him what happened.
Willing to marry
"The girl is willing to marry you if her parents will give their consent. But, unfortunately, they were away and I could not meet the. Will you be able to bring me across again tomorrow”?
“Of course”, said the crocodile.
The next morning the crocodile took the jackal to the opposite river bank and the jacakal told him to wait for him.
The jackal quickly loped through the forest and reached the elephant’s carcass and ate the balance flesh.
His tummy grew larger and larger. He was so full that he could hardly walk.
The jackal returned to the river bank where the crocodile was waiting impatiently. As soon as the crocodile saw the jackal he said. “How big your stomach has become. What did you do for it to become so big”?
The crafty jackal said, Your bride-to-be is such a wonderful cook. The food she had cooked was so good that I ate much more than I usually do. This is why my stomach has become so big”.
The crocodile was impatient to hear what the jackal had to say, so he swam across the river quickly and deposited the jackal on the other bank.
“Now, please tell me what happened? he asked the jackal. ‘What did her parents have to say? When can I marry her"?
“Her parents said, that they will not give their daughter in marriage to a foolish crocodile like you. Did you really think that there are crocodiles living on land? You foolish one, crocodiles live in water like you”.
The crocodile realised how foolish he had been.
Elephant flesh
The jackal said, didn’t you realise that I wanted to go the other side to eat the elephant flesh? You are so foolish, how can you live with a wife? However, if I come across a girl crocodile as foolish as you I will tell you’
After saying this, the jackal disappeared into the thick jungle.
Sourse: Folklore