Once a father and son went to the market, suddenly they saw a crocodile lying across the road, unable to move - a forest fire had burned the crocodile’s legs. The father and son took pity on the ailing predator, cut down a pole, tied the crocodile to it, put it in a cart and took it to a large lake.
The crocodile drank water, rolled around in the mud, gained strength and decided to eat his saviors. The father and son told him:
- Shame on you! We helped you in trouble.
“Good help,” objected the crocodile, “they tied me up so that I almost died.” No, I'll eat you right away.
- Take your time, crocodile. Let the king judge our dispute.
Father and son and the crocodile went to the king, and each explained the essence of the matter in his own way.
The crocodile prostrated himself before the king and said:
— I was resting in one beautiful, secluded place. Suddenly these two people came up to me, tied me up, and threw me into a cart. No matter how I struggled, no matter how I fought, it was all in vain. Because these people tormented me, I decided to eat them.
Now father and son fell on their faces before the king:
— The forest fire burned this crocodile’s legs and he could not move. We felt sorry for the crocodile, we tied it to a pole, put it on a cart and took it to the lake. There they untied him and released him. The crocodile rushed into the water, gained strength and decided to eat us. If you don't believe our story, take a look at the crocodile's legs and you will be convinced of the veracity of our words.
The king thought: “This crocodile is an ungrateful creature,” and then said:
“I have to see how it really happened.” Let's go to where the crocodile lay and let the people tie it up exactly as they did the first time.
They tied up a crocodile.
“Go home,” the king reasoned, “and in the future do not provide services to crocodiles.” It’s not for nothing that they say: “Do not trust a predator or a poisonous snake.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru