The Monkey and the Crocodile by Vikram Seth

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About the poem

• The poem ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’ is taken from ‘Beastly Tales from Here and There’ (1912) ,and it is written in the form of the ballad by Vikram Seth.

• The poem depicts the theme of betrayal in friendship, greed and selfishness in human relations.

• The entire poem is written in such a way that it makes couplets. It follows the rhyme scheme of aabb.

• The poem enriches with a message that humans should not believe in those who are not able to be trusted, and unusual in nature.

• The poet uses the third person narrative in this poem. The entire poem revolves around three characters-Kuroop, Mrs. Crocodile and the Monkey.

   

  Detail discussion about characters:

i) Kuroop

Vikram Seth presents Kuroop as a self-centered and greedy fellow who makes his wife happy by all means, and enjoys her company while eating his prey. He loves only his wife, and fulfills all of her desires. He is so selfish that he easily forgets all the mangoes the monkey has given to him and his kindness towards him and his wife. He betrays the monkey only to give an anniversary treat to his wife , Mrs. Crocodile. He does not have control over his mind , courage to differentiate between the right and the wrong, so he is easily manipulated by others. He can not make his wife understand how wicked she is when she thinks of eating the monkey’s heart, but his wife convinces him to betray with the monkey. On the other hand the monkey befools him by saying that his chest does not contain his heart, and Kuroop takes him to the tree where he lives. Kuroop does not  have intellect and presence of mind to understand the circumstances ,and he becomes a victim of manipulation by his wife and the monkey both. He has also feelings of gratitude and guilt which are reflected in the poem with the passage of time. Due to  his gratitude he tries to make his wife understand that they can not eat the monkey’s heart as he is his friend .Again ,his guilt is shown when he looked at the monkey with a regretful smile at the end of the poem.

ii)Mrs. Crocodile

Mrs. Crocodile has is selfish and self-centered. She can do anything to fulfill her wish. She can read others’ mind and manipulate them easily. Thus, she succeeds in persuading Kuroop to betray his friend, the monkey. She does not have gratitude to others rather she considers kindness as foolishness. Hence she does not listen to Kuroop who fulfills her every wish, and she thinks of eating the monkey’s heart remembering his kindness and mangoes of summer treat. She possess illogical mind and wicked thoughts that she guesses that the monkey’s heart is sweeter than sugarcane as the mango pulps gather in his heart. She is narrow-minded and opportunists. She is ready to take advantage of the monkey’s faith in Kuroop by snatching life from the monkey to fulfill her wish. 

iii) The Monkey

The monkey has compassion and kindness for Kuroop and his wife ,so he throws sweet ripe mangoes on Kuroop gladly to give them summer treat. He is loyal to his friend and true to his friendship by showing his love through mangoes. He believes his friend so much that he does not hesitate to sit on the back of Kuroop. He has enough intellect and presence of mind to save himself when he is about to die. He acts according to situation so, he can make a plan to defeat Kuroop in fulfilling his goals. He is so brave that he does not afraid of death when Kuroop allows him to choose death by drowning or gutted by him and his wife. He does not tolerate dishonesty .He punishes Kuroop by throwing squishy, rotten, dead mangoes on the head of Kuroop.

i) Kuroop

Summary

The poem ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’ narrates a story which depicts friendship and betrayal  between the Monkey and the Crocodile .In the poem the Crocodile lived with his wife in the greenest island .He loved his wife and shared with her the carcass of the prey he caught. He used to give her dolphins, turtle , fatter fish and mangoes .

Kuroop had a very good bonding of friendship with  the Monkey who provided  sweet ripe mangoes to him years after year. He knew Mrs. Crocodile loved mangoes so he gave mangoes to him for his wife also. It was the time when Mr. Crocodile and Mrs. Crocodile enjoyed summer treat the Monkey gave .

Once Mrs. Crocodile desired to eat the monkey’s heart on the occasion of her anniversary. At first Mr. Crocodile tried to make her understand that he could not betray the Monkey as he was his friend who believe him and fed them mangoes. Mrs. Crocodile advised her husband how it could be easy to betray the monkey as he believed Kuroop. Eventually Mrs. Crocodile threatened Kuroop if she could not eat the monkey’s heart, she would die out of bitterness. Mr. Crocodile became afraid of the Crocodile’s threat, and went to invite the Monkey to dine with them on the occasion of their anniversary. The Monkey was extremely glad to be invited and sat on the back of Kuroop. They reached in the middle of the way when the Crocodile ordered the Monkey to throw all the mangoes in the water, and declared that the Monkey himself was a gift for Mrs. Crocodile. He asked the monkey if mango nectar filled his heart. He worried if his wife would get indigestion after eating the Monkey’s heart. Kuroop offered the Monkey death by drowning or gutted by Mr. Crocodile and his wife. Then the Monkey said he could accept any kind of death for the sake of Mrs. Crocodile, but worried about Mrs. Crocodile’s reaction while separating his ribs, as his chest did not contain the heart. He had put his heart in the hollow of the tree as Kuroop was in hurry while fetching the Monkey. He suggested an idea to Kuroop to fetch his heart , and Kuroop agreed with him. So Kuroop took him to the place where the Monkey lived. 

After reaching his home the Monkey refused to come back and cursed him .He threw squishy, rotten and dead mangoes upon the Monkey’s head. Kuroop looked the Monkey with a regretful smile.

Short Answer Type Questions

1.What did Kuroop do after catching his prey ?

Ans: After catching his prey Kuroop snapped it, tore it with its teeth and killed it. He dragged the dead body of his prey to his wife’s feet. Then he ate it and watched his wife to eat it.

 2.Where did the monkey stay?

Ans: The monkey stayed in a mango tree on a river bank.

3.What was the prime pleasure of the Crocodile’s life ?

Ans: The prime pleasure of the crocodile’s life was to eat his prey and watch his wife to eat it.

4.What did the Monkey throw upon the Crocodile’s head as his parting gift? How did the crocodile behave at that time?

Ans: The Monkey threw  squishy,  rotten and dead mangoes upon the crocodile’s head as his parting gift.

Then the Crocodile sat and looked at him with a regretful smile.

5.What are referred to as the “golden treasure”?

Ans: The golden and ripe mangoes are referred to as the “golden treasure”.

6.Why did Kuroop’s wife  think the monkey’s heart to be sweeter than sugarcane? 

Ans: Kuroop’s wife thought the monkey had consumed sweet and ripe mangoes year after year ,and the mango pulp must have gathered in his heart and sweeten his heart including every part of the monkey’s body. So she thought that 

the monkey’s heart to be sweeter than sugarcane.

7.Who is Scalyskins? 

Ans: Kuroop, Mr.Crocodile is Scalyskins.

8.Mention any four things that Kuroop used to take for his wife.

Ans: Kuroop used to take Dolphins, turtle, mangoes and fish for his wife.

9. “Darling , he’s my friend”. –Who says this about whom?

Ans: Kuroop, Mr.Crocodile says this about the monkey.

10.What did the monkey say after knowing the crocodile’s evil intention?

Ans: After knowing the crocodile’s evil intention, the monkey said that his breast did not contain his heart. He also said that he had kept the heart in the hollow of a tree.

11.What did Kuroop want to know about the monkey’s heart and Why ?

Ans: Kuroop wanted to know if mango nectar filled his heart because he worried if his wife get indigestion after eating the monkey’s heart.

12.How was the monkey taken to crocodile’s home? 

Ans: The monkey was taken to crocodile’s home with a trickery. Mr. Crocodile invited the monkey to dine on the occasion of anniversary of Kuroop and Mrs. Crocodile.

13.How did Kuroop look?

Ans: Kuroop was greeny-brown in colour. He had shabby legs and scaly skin.

14.What did the monkey keep in the hollow?

Ans: The monkey kept his heart, liver, half of his brain a fingernail, Cufflink, chutney and a spare tail in the hollow.

15.What option did Kuroop give to the monkey when they were in the middle of the water?

Ans: When Kuroop and the monkey were in the middle of the water, Kuroop gave two options to the monkey to choose his death which were death by drowning or gutted by them.

16.How did Kuroop react when the monkey bade him good bye?

Ans: When the monkey bade him good bye, Kuroop sat and watched him with a regretful smile.

17.Why did Mrs. Crocodile particularly want the monkey’s heart? 

Ans: She thought that the monkey’s heart would be tasted sweeter than sugarcane, so she particularly wanted the monkey’s heart.

18.What did the monkey give to the crocodile as a summer treat? What did he know about his wife?

Ans: The monkey gave sweet ripe mangoes to the crocodile as a summer treat.

He knew about his wife’s love of mangoes and how Mrs. Crocodile would weep and swoon if she had no mangoes to eat.

19.”I will let you choose your end”-What choices were given by the speaker?

or, 

What opinion did Kuroop give to the monkey when they were in the middle of the water?

Ans: When Kuroop and the Monkey were in the middle of the water, Kuroop ordered the monkey to throw all the mangoes in the water. He told him that the Monkey himself was a gift. Then he gave the choices- death by drowning or gutted by him and Mrs. Crocodile.

20.How did Kuroop usually catch his prey?

Ans: After Kuroop viewed a prey coming, he used to get down the water to cath it. He moved smoothly as a log floats on the water ,and he also moved silently like a tadpole catches a prey.

 

Long Answer Type Questions

 

1.Who was Kuroop? Where did he live? How did he look? What kinds of prey did he like to hunt? What did he do whenever a potential prey come into his view?

Ans: Kuroop was the crocodile.

He lived in the greenest island on the Ganga river.

He looked greeny-brown in colour. He had gentle grin, stubby legs and scaly skin.

 Kuroop liked to hunt dolphin, turtle and fatter fish which seemed to be a substantial dish.

Whenever a potential prey come into his view, would get down to follow and capture it.

2. “Not the fruit ,but your sweet love,/Showered on us from above,” – Who says this to whom? What did the speaker mean to say here? Is It true?

Ans: “Not the fruit ,but your sweet love,/Showered on us from above,” –Kuroop, the crocodile says this to the Monkey.

The speaker means to say that mangoes do not matter for him, but his wife likes the love the Monkey expresses by providing them the mangoes.

It is not completely true. Mrs. Kuroop  likes the love the monkey shows, but she also likes mangoes.

3. What did Mrs. Crocodile want to eat as an anniversary treat? Why had Mr. Crocodile agreed with his wife?

Ans: Mrs. Crocodile wanted to eat the monkey’s heart as an anniversary treat.

Mrs. Crocodile threatened her husband that she had suffered from slow breathing and every fruit seemed to be bitter for her. She further warned him if she could not eat the monkey’s heart, she would die out of bitterness. Being afraid of his wife’s death Mr. Crocodile agreed with his wife.

4.What did the crocodile say while inviting the monkey? How did he feel after being invited? 

Ans: Mr. Crocodile thanked the monkey for his kindness and invited him to dine with him and his wife. Mr. Crocodile said that the monkey some made his wife’s life so sweet by giving mangoes. Then he described his wife’s  amazing personality by persuading monkey to believe that the Monkey’s heart would be gnawed and he would enter Paradise after he met her.

5.Whom did the crocodile choose to betray? What mangoes did the monkey throw at Kuroop for his betrayal at the end of the poem? How did the monkey express his joys when Kuroop went to fetch him for his wife?

Ans: The crocodile chose the monkey to betray.

At the end of the poem the monkey threw squishy, rotten and dead mangoes at Kuroop.

When Kuroop went to fetch him for his wife, the monkey was so delighted that he let out a joyful shout. He jumped from branch to branch with pleasure, threw golden mangoes , and said the crocodile to eat them and take them for Mrs. Crocodile, his wife.

6.How does Vikram Seth portray the presence of mind in the monkey in the poem?

or,

How did the monkey use his wits to save his life?

Ans: The Monkey did not get afraid of death when the Crocodile tell him to choose death by drowning or gutted by him and his wife. He used his brain and courage to overtake Kuroop’s plan. He said he was ready to sacrifice his life to make Mrs. Crocodile happy. At the same time he expressed his sorrow that his chest did not contain heart as he had put it in the hollow. Mr. Crocodile was in hurry and the Monkey came without taking his heart. Mrs. Crocodile would be unable to speak if she could not find his heart after separating his ribs. After expressing all of these concerns he suggested the Crocodile that he wished to bring his heart back for Mrs. Crocodile. The Monkey  convinced Mr. Crocodile by each words , and Mr. Crocodile took him to the shore where the Monkey lived. This way the Monkey saved himself with the help of his intellect and presence of mind.

7. What did the monkey do after being saved from the crocodile?

Ans: After being saved from the Crocodile, he shouted at the crocodile and said that he was not twice fool. He cursed him to tell his wife to eat her own heart. He also said his heart used to beat in his chest every moment .Then he threw squishy, rotten and dead mangoes upon the Crocodile’s heart as his parting gifts.

8.Why did the crocodile agree to return the monkey to the shore? How did he feel at that time?

Ans: The Monkey convinced the Crocodile that he had put his heart in the hollow of tree where he lived. He expressed his desire of bringing his heart back to make Mrs. Crocodile happy. So the crocodile agreed to return the monkey to the shore.

 9. How did the crocodile’s friendship with  the monkey come to an end?

Ans: The Crocodile invited the Monkey to their anniversary treat, and made him sit on his back. After a while they reached in the middle of the way and the Crocodile told him to throw all the mangoes in the water. He also said that the Monkey himself would be a gift for Mrs. Crocodile. He told him to choose death by drowning or gutted by him and his wife. It was the time when the Monkey knew the truth of Kuroop who betrayed the Monkey, and their friendship came to an end.

10.Comment on various themes of the poem.

Ans: The theme of the poem ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’ revolves around the Monkey’s friendship and trust, Kuroop’s betrayal and dishonesty and Mrs. Crocodile’s greed and selfishness. The Monkey showed his friendship by providing mangoes to Kuroop years after years . He trusted Mr. Kuroop and sat on his back when Kuroop invited him. The Crocodile was a dishonest fellow who offered death to the Monkey ,and betrayed his friend. Mrs. Crocodile was so greedy that she wanted to eat the Monkey’s heart. She was self-centred , narrow-minded fellow who fulfils her desire without differentiating between fair and foul.

11.Bring out the didactic elements in the poem ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’.

Ans: In the poem Vikram Seth shows how greed grasp our thoughts through portraying the character of Mrs. Crocodile. She used to eat mangoes the Monkey provided him, and became greedy to eat his heart. She made a conspiracy with the help of the Monkey’s faith in Kuroop. She misunderstood him as a foolish fellow due to his kindness and compassion for Kuroop as many times a few people consider others fool for their goodness. On the other hand Kuroop was easily manipulated by the blackmail Mrs. Crocodile used, and again the Monkey easily convinced him that his chest did not contain his heart. Kuroop was a henpecked as a husband ,and he could not be true to his friend as many people are easily manipulated by others and became a fool in managing their personal relations and social relations due to the lack of their own brain. Kuroop’s unloyalty to his friend also proves how friendship is spoiled due to greed and selfishness. After getting invitation from the Crocodile , the Monkey sat on his back as many of us blindly believe our friends, and get ourselves trapped in a conspiracy. The friendship between the Monkey and the Crocodile was unusual as people face difficulty in an unusual friendship. Again, the way the Monkey saved himself teaches us to face challenges with the presence of mind. So the poem ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’ is a didactic poem which teaches us a lot with various messages related to human relations .

 

Textual Grammar 

Do as directed:

1.I am not such a double -dunce.(Change to Affirmative Sentence)

Ans: I am less than such a double -dunce.

2.The monkey clambered down. He was delighted.(Join into complex sentence)

Ans: When the monkey clambered down, he was delighted.

3.I must eat the monkey’s heart.(Change to Negative Sentence)

Ans: I can not but eat the monkey’s heart.

4.Mango trees stood rank on rank.(Change to Present Perfect Continuous sentence)

Ans: Mango trees have been standing rank on rank.

5.She won’t eat fruit.(Change the voice)

Ans: Fruit won’t be eaten by her.

6.The crocodile said to the monkey, “How my sweetheart will upbraid me!” (Change the Narration)

Ans: The crocodile told the monkey with exclamation that his sweetheart would upraid him greatly.

7.I will let you choose your end. (Change the voice)

Ans: You will be let choose your end by me.

8.He would test the water too. (Change the voice)

Ans: Water would be tested by him too.

9.If you had not rushed me so, I’d have found time to go.(Replace the underlined word with a phrasal verb)

Ans: If you had not hurried  me up so, I’d have found time to go.

10.Let us show our gratitude. (Change the voice)

Ans: Let our gratitude be shown.

 

Word-Meaning:

♦isle-island, ♦grin-a broad smile, ♦stubby-short and fat, ♦tepid-unenthusiastic, ♦prey-an animal that is hunted, ♦substantial-of considerable importance,♦ glide-move smoothly without noise, ♦polliwog-tadpole, ♦lunge-make sudden powerful movement,♦ Grab-Catch somebody, ♦snap-break, ♦rip-tear,♦ carcass-deadbody of prey, ♦treat-entertainment of giving free food, ♦pine-becoming thin and weak because of unhappiness,♦ swoon-loss of consciousness, ♦showered-covered us, ♦slakes-satisfies, ♦partly-not completely, ♦Gorged-over-ate, ♦tender-showing kindness, ♦Sugar-cane-tall tropical plant, ♦pulp-soft inner part of fruit, ♦pore-small hole in skin,♦ Concentrating-gathering, ♦fetch-bring, ♦faint-swoon, ♦whoop-shout loudly, ♦flinging -throwing something with great force, ♦treasure-precious objects, ♦Nectar-sweet liquid, ♦paw-the foot, ♦gnaw-bite at ,♦ gratitude-feeling of being grateful,♦ limb-one of the main branches of the tree, ♦crown-top part of the head, ♦clambered-climb up,♦ warmth-affection, ♦Toss-throw,♦ gruff-rough and low in pitch, ♦voracious-devouring food in a great quantity, ♦veins-one of the tubes which can carry blood from all parts of your body to your heart,♦ Gutted-killed brutally, ♦sinking-started thinking deeply with emotion, ♦slaughter-killing animal, ♦felicity-happiness, ♦Dumb-not able to speak, ♦prised-forced to separate, ♦rushed-moved quickly,♦ hollow-with a hole or empty space inside, ♦spare-not needed now but kept for future, ♦cufflinks-a small decorative object used to fasten shirt cuffs,♦ sup-have a meal, ♦mingled-mixed, ♦upbraid-scold, ♦aid-help, jaw-the mouth, ♦concern-worry, ♦regard-care for something, ♦double -dunce-twice slow in learning, ♦yelled-shout loudly, ♦scaly-covered with scales, ♦breast-chest, ♦parting-act of leaving somebody, ♦squishy-soft and moist, ♦rotten-old and not fresh, ♦reptile-an animal that has cold blood and scaly skins, ♦regretful-showing you feel sorry about something