Crocodile medicine
Once, a crocodile lived in a pond. He was always hungry. A crab also lived in the same pond. They were good friends.
A jackal lived in nearby by forest. He was always thirsty. He said to him, `I can’t go to the pond and drink water. The crocodile will eat me.’ So he was sad.
One day, the crocodile said to the crab, `dear crab, I am hungry.’ He said this started weeping.’ You are always hungry,’ said the crab.’ You have a huge body and you never get enough food to eat.
`Oh! Poor me!’ cried the crocodile.
Tears ran down his cheeks.’ I am hungry7. I want to eat the jackal.
`Eat the jackal? Never!’ said the crab.’ You can’t eat him. He is very clever.’
The next day, the crocodile called the crab and said, `my friend, today I am going to eat the jackal. You should help me.’ Then he whispered something in the crab’s ear. The crab smiled.
The crocodile went under a tree lay down still. He closed his eyes and said, `now, I am dead!’
The crab sat near him and cried for sometime. Then she took some flowers and out them on his body.
After that crab went to the jackal crying.
`Why are you sad?’ asked the jackal.
`My friend, the crocodile, is dead,’ said the crab wiping her tears.
`Is the crocodile dead? Oh! How happy I am!’
`You are very cruel!’ said the crab.
The jackal said, `look, why should I be sad? He was not my friend. In fact, I was terrible afraid of him. I was dying of thirst. Now I can go to the pond and drink water without any fear.’
`Of course, you can! The crab Said.’ Now my friend is dead and the whole pond belongs to you.’
The jackal went to the pond happily. He looked at the crocodile and said loudly,’ funny! It’s so funny!’
`What’s so funny?’ asked the crab.
` A dead crocodile always moves his tail,’ said the jackal.’ My brother told me about it. But this one is not moving his tail.’
The crocodile heard this and started moving his tail.
`Ha! How funny! Very funny,’ cried the jackal.’ look at your dead friend; he is moving his tail!’ and the clever jackal ran away.
Crocodile medicine
One night, a hunter dreamed that a great crocodile came out of the river, and caught his leg between its teeth, and dragged him into the river. He was so frightened that he woke up, and could not go to sleep again.
`I will go to the witchdoctor and ask him for a magic medicine to save me from the crocodile,’ he said.
So in the morning he went to the witchdoctor and told him of his dream. `I want you to give me a magic medicine that will keep crocodiles away from me,’ he said.
`Very well,’ said the wise man nodding his head. `It is not easy but I can do it. It will cost you a lot of money. Have you enough?’
`Even if it costs me fifty dollars,’ said the hunter, `I must have the medicine.’ It will cost just fifty dollars,’ answered the witchdoctor. He gave the man a dirty little bag and said, `Hang this round your neck and you will be safe. It has in it the tooth of a crocodile, the wing of a bird, the foot of a hare, and other things.’
The hunter gave the witchdoctor fifty dollars, and took the bag and hung it round his neck.
`Now, I can go hunting. Now I am safe from crocodiles,’ he said and turned to leave.
`Wait a minute,’ said the witchdoctor, `you must know one thing. You must not go near the water. Water drives the magic out of it.’
`But crocodiles only live in water,’ said the hunter, `if I don’t go near the water, I won’t see any crocodiles.’
`That is true,’ said the witchdoctor nodding his head.
`But if I don’t go near the water, I shall be safe from crocodiles even if I have no medicine at all’, said the hunter.
`That is true,’ said the witchdoctor nodding his head again.
`That is also true,’ said the witchdoctor, and went inside his hunt and shut the door.
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