The Tempted Cow

A cow was grazing near the riverbank when a crocodile suddenly emerged from the water.

"Hey there! I'm ferrying cows to the other side of the river," the crocodile tempted her. "You’ll find paradise over there—plenty of sweet grass to eat and all sorts of fun things a cow would love to do. Once you go, you’ll never want to come back."

At first, the cow was entranced by the thought of lush grass and wonderful adventures. But then she remembered her mother.

"I'd love to take my mom along with me!" she called out loudly. "Mom! Mom!"

Realizing his sneaky plan was foiled, the crocodile immediately dived back into the water.

When the cow's mother arrived, she saw her daughter glowing with excitement. "Hey Mom! A new friend here is offering to take us to the other side of the river!" the cow exclaimed, turning around to point.

But there was no trace of the crocodile.

"You were being fooled by that crocodile—never trust him," her mother warned gently. "If you had gone with him, he would have eaten you alive."

The little cow’s eyes grew wide as she realized what her mother meant. She looked back at the quiet river, realizing that the crocodile’s "paradise" was just a trick to catch her off guard. She didn't need to cross the river after all—the greenest grass and safest place in the world were right here beside her mother.

Nuzzling closely against her mom, she smiled with relief. She learned an important lesson that day: always trust her mother's wisdom, and never take ride offers from clever crocodiles!