Some Folktales from 'The Greenwood Library of World Folktales"...

Crocodile's Treason

Crocodile was, in the days when animals still could talk, the acknowledged

foreman of all water creatures and if one should judge from appearances

one would say that he still is. But in those days it was his especial duty to

have a general care of all water animals, and when one year it was exceedingly dry,

and the water of the river where they had lived dried up and became scarce, he was

forced to make a plan to trek over to another river a short distance from there.

He first sent Otter out to spy. He stayed away two days and brought back a

report that there was still good water in the other river, real sea-cow [manatee]

holes, that not even a drought of several years could dry up.

After he had ascertained this, Crocodile called to his side Tortoise and

Alligator.

‘‘Look here,’’ said he, ‘‘I need you two