Gambia




“One day it happened that a child went to look for firewood in the bush. He found a crocodile sitting on its eggs on the sandy bank. When the crocodile saw the child, he said to him, “Help me, carry me to the river, dawn found me here, the sun then became hot and I am not able to go.” The child said to the crocodile, “If it happens that you will not eat me, I will help you.” The crocodile said “I will not do that.” The child was sorry for him, he went to a fara tree, and stripped off some cord, came back and tied the crocodile’s legs. He put him on his head, and went with him to the river.

When they reached the edge of the river, the child was about to put him down. The crocodile said to him: “Complete you kindness, do not put me down here, take me to the water.” The child agreed, and went down with him to the mud, and was about to put him down there. The crocodile said: “Please, take me into the water, I am very tired, and cannot walk.” The child took him into the water, until the water came up to his waist. The crocodile said to him: “Put me down.” The child put him down, and loosened the cord. When he loosened him, the crocodile seized his leg, and said to him: “I am going to eat you.” The child said to him: “Are you going to repay my kindness with wickedness?” The crocodile said to him “The world is that way- the payment for goodness is wickedness.” The child said: “Well then, let me look for a witness.” The crocodile said: “Yes, three witnesses, if they all say the reward for kindness is kindness, I shall let you go, but if they say the reward for kindness is wickedness, I shall kill you.” The child said “I agree.” The child and the crocodile remained there until an old donkey came by, wanting to drink. The crocodile asked “Who is it?” The donkey replied. The crocodile said to him: “Before you drink, you should decide the truth between me and this child.” The donkey said “State your case.” The crocodile explained everything. The donkey said to him: “In this world the reward for kindness is only wickedness. Don’t you see how I am? When I was young, I had strength, I carried loads. My owner used to ride me. At that time he used to give me millet to eat; the children would cut grass for me, they would sweep my house, they would give me water to drink. But don’t you see now I am old, I have no strength, I cannot work, people ignore me, my owner does not even know if I am at home. He does not smoke my house, the mosquitoes are biting me. They have forgotten all my work. They do not even answer me. As for me, I know that humans repay goodness with wickedness.”

The crocodile said to the child “You hear?” He said “Yes”. The donkey drank and went off. Not long after, an old horse came and was about to drink. The crocodile said to him: “Horse, what is the reason you are here?” The horse said to him: “Hn, man’s wickedness. The time I was young, my owner used to be concerned about me, he would take me to far-off places, he would make me dance, at that time I would live only on millet grain. Every day my body would be washed, water would be drawn for me, my house would be swept, everything would be done for me, but don’t you see, now that I’ve become old, my sinews are all cut, they ignore me, they have tossed me to one side…if it were formerly I would not have had to come to look for water here. They have paid for my kindness with wickedness. The crocodile said to the child: “You’ve heard the second witness.” The child said “Yes”.

They were there until they saw a hare running along towards them. As he was about to pass, the crocodile called him. He stopped and asked “What is it?” The crocodile said to him “There is a court case here. I want to explain it to you. The hare said to him: “Tell it, but hurry, I don’t want nonsense.” The crocodile explained all to him. The hare asked the child, the child also told him his case. Hare said “No, I don’t believe that this child brought you here.” The crocodile said “He did”. The child also said “I did”. The hare said to them: “Well, then you all should come out of please.” The crocodile and the child came out of the water, and came and stood on the shore.

Hare said “I shall not believe you tale unless we all go to the place where you met. Child you must tie the crocodile, and carry him again, that we may go there.” They agreed. The child tied the crocodile and put him on his head. Hare followed behind them, till they reached the sandy bank. The child stopped and said “It was here.” He stopped and was about to put down the crocodile. Hare said: “wait, does your father eat crocodile?” The child said “Yes”. He asked “Does your mother eat it?” The child said “Yes”. He said to the crocodile “Did this child find you here?” The crocodile said “Yes”. Hare said to him: “If this child had not helped you to reach the river, what would have happened to you?” The crocodile said: “The dogs would have found me here, and would have killed me or else the hunters.”

Hare said to the child “Take him to your father and mother and eat him.” He said to the crocodile “After today, the reward for kindness is kindness.” The child went home with the crocodile. His father cut it up, and they had it for dinner. That is the reason if someone does a good thing to you, you should repay it with goodness.

Source: Here