The rain fell incessantly, as if waterfalls were gushing from the sky. The river overflowed and the ravine immediately flooded. Terrible whirlpools swirled around the hill. The water rose higher and higher, and its noise resembled the roar of a hurricane. The river is swollen from the rain. Soon the water in the ravine surrounding the hill came to the place where Kanchil was sleeping. Waking up and seeing how the river overflowed, the animal was very scared. What was to be done? There was nowhere to jump because the ravine was filled with water. He couldn't climb the tree either. We could only hope that the water would subside soon and not have time to wash it away. Kanchil did not dare to swim, because he was afraid of falling into the mouth of a crocodile. While he was thinking in fear about how dangerous such a meeting would be, crocodile heads suddenly appeared above the water. Closest of all was the head of the Crocodile - his old enemy, who was almost crushed at one time by a jawi-jawi tree.
- Yeah! - exclaimed the Crocodile. – Finally, we have met, Kanchil! Where are you going now? Come on, come here, quickly! Where will you hide? Would you like to hide in my stomach? Come on, try to run away! Now you can't escape! Now I will finish you off and treat all my friends to your meat. We will gnaw you to the last bone - I am very angry with you for deceiving me then! I wanted to feast on the Bull's scruff, and nothing came of it, and all because of your cunning. You should have called that worthless Doe so that she would interfere in my affairs with the Bull! Well, move, now I’ll eat you instead of a bull’s scruff! Your meat must be very tasty - fatty and soft. Maybe it's as useful as medicine.
Kanchil thought that he could no longer escape death. But he did not lose hope for the help of the Almighty. Therefore, he entrusted his fate to Allah and began to pray to him for salvation...
And then, turning to the Crocodile, he said:
-Who told you the secret? How did you know that you could make a medicine out of me? There are so many of you gathered here, and you want to eat me alone! But this is not the case - because I am too small. You won't be full of me. But if you want to make medicine out of me, then that’s a different matter. In that case, you can all eat me together, unless there are fewer of you here than necessary.
“There are eighty of us here,” answered the Crocodile.
“If only eighty crocodiles eat me, then everyone will probably have a stomach ache and diarrhea.” You will get sick in the morning, and by the evening you will die! If you don’t believe me, you can tear me into pieces and eat me right now. But if one hundred and fifty crocodiles eat me, the medicine will work, and you will all live and be healthy for a long time.
– Are you telling the truth, Kanchil?
- But this is the same thing that happens to a person who drinks too much. Too much wine is bad for you. A person gets drunk, loses shame, and sometimes dies after drinking too much. In any case, a drunkard will not live long. Another thing is when a person drinks a little, this only makes him stronger! But my meat is much more poisonous than any wine: whoever eats more than he needs will probably not last long.
One of the crocodiles said:
“It always happens: before death, everyone talks too much.” Even though you won’t be satisfied with Kanchil alone, I’ll still eat you now.
Kanchil immediately approached him and said:
- Please tear me apart! I give good advice, but you don't listen to me. I don’t care how many crocodiles eat me - one or many! But I want the animals to be grateful to me after my death, so that my good name will become famous throughout the world. However, if you think carefully, then, perhaps, you don’t have to listen to my advice. After all, if eighty crocodiles eat me, they will all die. That’s why all the animals that get their food on the river bank will rejoice - no one will bother them! It’s a pity that I spilled the beans, but now I can’t take my words back. Eh, my chatty tongue has failed me! And why did I reveal this secret?
Old Crocodile replied:
“I now see that you are telling the truth.” Well, I will now order fifty crocodiles to call seventy more here, so that in total there will be one hundred and fifty of us. And thirty crocodiles will remain to guard you while the others go in different directions. Everyone will be here soon!
Fifty crocodiles dispersed in both directions: some climbed onto the shore, some dived into the water. Very soon everyone returned back, and with them seventy more. Now there were already one hundred and fifty of them. The ravine was swarming with crocodiles, and they all opened their mouths terribly.
The crocodile, who was at enmity with Kanchil, said:
- Well, now what else do you want, Kanchil? One hundred and fifty of us have already gathered here.
- If you really are one and a half hundred, no more and no less, you can eat me! But only here exactly one and a half hundred?
– No more and no less, exactly one and a half hundred, I just counted.
- Well, your happiness if you counted correctly! But if you are wrong, it could end badly for all of you.
- Yes, it’s better to count it yourself again so that there is no mistake.
- And I rely on you! If there really are one hundred and fifty crocodiles here, no more and no less, then please tear me apart!
- No, no, I'm afraid, you better count us!
“If you really want this, then I’m ready, but just position yourself so that I can see you clearly.” There is no point in sticking just one head out of the water. Lie down all in a row, side by side, pressed against each other, from the ficus tree over there to that shore.
“Okay, don’t worry, now I’ll order them all, and we’ll position ourselves as you order.”
Soon after this, the crocodiles lay down in a row, exposing their heads, backs and tails from the water.
“Count quickly, but make sure you don’t make mistakes,” said the crocodile.
Kanchil replied:
- Allow me to step on the backs of your friends. Just don't let them think I'm discourteous. The crocodile replied:
– Nothing, nothing, it’s for the good of the cause! Kanchil began to count the crocodiles, jumping on their backs: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, twenty, twenty-four, fifty, sixty, ninety, one hundred, one hundred twenty... one hundred and fifty! Then he jumped onto the shore and ran away as fast as he could. The crocodile shouted:
- Wait a minute, Kanchil, I want to ask you something!
Kanchil replied:
– What do you want to ask me?
- Yes, about what you said!
- Do you want to eat my meat? Don't get your hopes up! Instead of my meat, you can collect my droppings along the way and treat your friends to them. And if it’s not enough, I’ll add more. Sneaky Crocodile, go back to where you came from! I wish for you and your friends that the hunters shoot all of your heads off! And now I will gallop at full speed.
Having climbed onto a small hill overgrown with rotan reeds, Kanchil stopped to rest. Suddenly the reeds moved as if from the wind, and Kanchil saw that the Crocodile was approaching him. He jumped back as if stung and exclaimed:
- Lousy Crocodile, son of a stupid crocodile, grandson of a scoundrel crocodile, great-grandson of a vile crocodile, descendant of vile crocodiles, what are you up to - attack on the sly! It's good that I noticed in time, otherwise - the hour is uneven - I would have turned into crocodile droppings!
And then Kanchil rushed without a break and ran all the way to the lake. He was thirsty and stopped to get a drink. Before he had time to bend down to the water, he saw something oblong there, like a wicker basket. Kancil felt a little uneasy, but he did not lose his head. Turning to the mysterious object, he said exactly the opposite of what he really thought:
“Listen, Oblong, if you are a crocodile’s head, then don’t move, but if you are a piece of wood, then swim to me.”
In reality it was the Crocodile. Hearing Kanchil's words, he immediately moved - in order to pass for a piece of wood!
As soon as Kanchil saw that the oblong object had moved and approached him, he again began to run with all his might and finally went deeper into the forest thicket.
- Well, the Crocodile is stupid, he doesn’t understand when he’s being bullied! - said Kanchil. “So he climbed forward, if only I would mistake him for a piece of wood.” If he’s that stupid, then he’ll never fool me. But I can mock him as I want. He really is a brainless creature!
Kanchilya was overcome by terrible fatigue. He stopped under a large tree, where it was quiet - and where the rays of the sun did not penetrate. Animals usually hid under this tree from predators, tired during the day from searching for food. There they rested, chewing gum. Kanchil also lay down there to come to his senses - he had no one else to fear.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru