My Folktale: Crocodile and The Man

Crocodile and The Man

Retold by Grandfather Thaew  NouengWanna

Translated by Kowit Huisena 4EN

Once, there was a crocodile who was tied by the vines around his body from side though other side. He could not escape from the vines, so he asked for help to the animals who walked pass. He asked for help for so long but nobody came to help him out. Then, there was a man who came this way. The crocodile asked for help from the man who was very generous, so the man helped the crocodile out from the vines.

          “I am so tried. Can you bring me to the middle of the pond?” The crocodile asked.

The man carried the crocodile up on his arm and walked into the pond. After that the crocodile said.

          “I will eat you up” The crocodile disclosed. The man thought about that a bit and replied.

          “Ok, I will let you to eat me but before you eat me let ask for the opinions from three animals around here first. If they say yes, you can eat me up but if they say no I will leave here.”

Then, there was a caw who was walking down to drink the water. The man asked the caw.

“Caw, I help the crocodile from the vines and took him down here, will you let him eat me?”

“Yes, I will let him eat you up. Did you see, the man, you flogged me everywhere I went to.” I caw answered to the man.

Then, there was a buffalo who was walking down to drink the water. The man asked the buffalo. The buffalo answered as same as the caw. Now, it was only one animal left. There was a dog who walked to the place. The man asked the dog.

“Dog, I help the crocodile from the vines and took him down here, will you let him eat me?”

“I don’t understand how could you help him out, man? Why don’t you do it again ?” The dog suggested to the man. Then, the man carried the crocodile up and took him in the vines.

“Finished?” The dog asked. “If you done, you can come with me and let that crocodile die there” The dog invited the man to go with him. The man went to see a caw and he was angry to the caw, so he flogged the caw at the back. The back of the caw was swollen. The man went to see the buffalo and hit him at the mouth, so his teeth were broken. The man was planning to kill the two animals but the animals would not be killed because they promised to work for the man. Finally the man asked the dog who helped him to live with him in the house.