Once upon a time there was a crocodile who lived in a big lake in the deep jungle. One long, hot summer, the lake dried up so badly that the ground became muddy and hard and no longer habitable for the crocodile.

The crocodile decided to crawl up to the edge of the lake one day to look for a new place to live. A few hours later an oxcart drawn by an old man passed by. The man was on his way to a village to visit his relatives.

The crocodile saw the man passing by and said to him: "Grandfather, please help me, I am dying. My skin is so dry because there is no more water in the lake. I need a new place to live. Please help take me to another pond or lake or river. I will never forget your kindness. I will remember it forever."

The old man saw the crocodile was sluggish and weak because of prolonged dryness, so out of kindness he said: "Grandchild Crocodile, where do you want to go?"

The crocodile answered: "Any body of water that is on your way would be fine."

The old man said: "I cannot carry you. I will have to tie you alongside my cart. Is that alright?"

The crocodile answered: "Yes, Grandfather, as long as you take me to a body of water."

So the old man took the crocodile to another big lake full of water, untied him from the cart and said: "Grandchild, slide yourself into the water."

The crocodile was an ungrateful beast. Once on the ground and near the water, he turned around and said to the old man: "Grandfather, I am hungry. Please let me eat one of your oxen. And besides, you tied me too tightly, I almost died from suffocation."

The old man said: "Why do you want to eat my ox? I have just saved your life, and you agreed to let me tie you."

Crocodile answered: "You tied me too tightly. I could not breathe. And if you don't let me eat your ox, I will eat you."

The old man was frightened for his life and his ox's life, so he begged the crocodile for a trial judged by a neutral third party. He said: "Before you kill me or kill my ox, please let me have some justice."

Crocodile agreed to the old man's plea and said: "Whoever we first encounter will be our judge."

The old man was not very happy. In fact, he was worried because he did not expect to meet any good judges on first encounter.

It was a good day for the old man, however, because not too far away they came across Suphea Rabbit who spotted them both and asked: "Grandfather, why such a long face?"

The old man responded: "Will you be our judge? Crocodile wants to eat me or my ox, and claims I tied him too tightly onto the cart that he almost died."

Rabbit asked: "Why did you tie him?"

The old man answered: "The lake dried up, so Crocodile needed a new lake. He begged me to take him to a new lake. He agreed to be tied to the cart so that he would not fall off, but now he has turned on me and wants to eat me and my oxen."

Suphea Rabbit asked Crocodile: "Is it true?"

Crocodile answered: "He tied me too tight, I cannot forgive him."

Suphea Rabbit asked: "How tight?"

Crocodile answered: "Too tight."

Suphea Rabbit suggested: "Can you show me how tight it was?"

Crocodile answered "Yes" and told the old man to tie him onto the cart once again to show Rabbit.

Suphea Rabbit then asked Crocodile: "Was it this tight?"

Crocodile said: "No, he tied me tighter than that; otherwise, I would not be angry at him."

Rabbit told the old man to pull the ropes tighter and then asked: "Was it this tight?"

Crocodile still said: "No, much tighter than that."

The process repeated until Crocodile could not breathe anymore and lost consciousness.

Suphea Rabbit then said to the old man: "Leave him as he is."

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