Sang Kancil and the Crocodiles

In a lush, tropical forest on the island of Malaysia, there lived a clever little mouse deer known as Sang Kancil. Sang Kancil wasn’t very big, nor was he particularly strong, but what he lacked in size and power, he made up for with his quick wit and cunning. His intelligence was his greatest weapon, and time and time again, he used it to outsmart even the fiercest animals in the forest.

One particularly hot day, Sang Kancil found himself wandering through the forest, looking for something to eat. The forest was thick and green, filled with the sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing. But despite its beauty, Sang Kancil was growing tired and thirsty. He knew that the river, which flowed lazily through the forest, was nearby, and so he decided to head toward it.

As he approached the riverbank, Sang Kancil saw the sparkling water flowing slowly past, but there was one problem. The river was filled with crocodiles—large, scaly beasts who were always hungry and more than eager to snap up anything that wandered too close to the water.

Sang Kancil sat on the riverbank for a moment, thinking about what to do. The crocodiles were dangerous, but he had to get across the river to find food on the other side. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, and a mischievous smile spread across his face.

"Why not make a game of it?" he thought to himself. And with that, he called out to the crocodiles.

“Hello, Crocodiles!” Sang Kancil shouted across the water. “I have an important message for your king!”

The crocodiles stopped their lazy drifting and turned their attention to the small creature standing on the riverbank. They were surprised to hear such a bold voice coming from such a tiny animal.

“What is it, Kancil?” one of the crocodiles asked, swimming a little closer.

“I’ve been sent by the king of the forest to deliver a message to your king,” Sang Kancil replied. “But before I can tell you the message, I need to count all of the crocodiles in the river. The king of the forest wants to know exactly how many of you there are.”

The crocodiles, curious and a little flattered that the king of the forest would want to know about them, began to gather around.

“There’s no need to lie,” Sang Kancil continued, his voice smooth and convincing. “I’ll need each of you to line up, from this side of the river to the other side, so I can count you one by one.”

The crocodiles, not realizing that Sang Kancil was up to something, agreed to his plan. One by one, they formed a line across the river, their long, scaly backs creating a bridge of sorts. Sang Kancil grinned as the last crocodile took its place.

“Now, I will begin counting!” he announced loudly.

With a spring in his step, Sang Kancil hopped onto the first crocodile’s back.

“One!” he shouted gleefully. He then jumped to the next crocodile, calling out, “Two!” And so on, he continued, hopping from one crocodile to the next, counting each one as he made his way across the river. The crocodiles watched with pride as Sang Kancil counted them, not realizing they were being tricked.

“Ten! Eleven! Twelve!” Sang Kancil continued, until he had hopped across all of the crocodiles and safely reached the other side of the river.

The moment he reached the shore, he turned to the crocodiles and laughed. “Thank you for helping me cross the river!” he said with a sly grin. “I didn’t need to deliver any message. I just wanted to get across without being eaten!”

The crocodiles were furious when they realized they had been tricked, but by then, it was too late. Sang Kancil had already darted into the thick underbrush, far out of their reach.

Now safely on the other side of the river, Sang Kancil continued his journey, smiling to himself at how cleverly he had outsmarted the crocodiles. However, he wasn’t entirely safe yet. The forest was home to many other dangerous creatures, and as clever as he was, Sang Kancil knew that he would have to stay on his toes.

As he wandered deeper into the forest, Sang Kancil came across a clearing where a large, majestic tree stood. Beneath the tree, he saw a bush filled with ripe, juicy fruits. His stomach rumbled in excitement, and he quickly made his way over to the bush.

But before he could take a bite, a rustling sound caught his attention. He froze in place, his ears twitching as he listened carefully. Out of the shadows stepped a sleek and cunning tiger, its golden eyes fixed on Sang Kancil.

“Ah, Sang Kancil,” the tiger growled softly, a smile curling at the edges of its mouth. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Sang Kancil’s heart raced, but he didn’t let his fear show. He knew that if he showed any sign of weakness, the tiger would pounce on him in an instant.

“Why are you waiting for me, dear Tiger?” Sang Kancil asked, trying to keep his voice calm and composed.

“I’ve heard stories about how clever you are,” the tiger replied. “But today, I’ll see if your cleverness can save you from my claws.”

Sang Kancil thought quickly, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. The tiger was fast and strong, but Sang Kancil knew that he could use the tiger’s own pride against him.

“Well, Tiger,” Sang Kancil said slowly, “if you want to catch me, you’ll have to prove that you’re worthy of the challenge. I’ve already outsmarted the crocodiles, and if you want to be the one to catch me, you’ll need to show me that you’re faster and smarter than them.”

The tiger narrowed his eyes, intrigued by Sang Kancil’s challenge. “And how do you propose I do that?” he asked.

Sang Kancil grinned. “It’s simple. There’s a race course just beyond this clearing. We’ll race to the top of that hill and back. If you can beat me, I’ll gladly surrender to you.”

The tiger, confident in his strength and speed, agreed to the challenge without hesitation.

“Very well,” the tiger said, flexing his powerful muscles. “Let’s race.”

But little did the tiger know that Sang Kancil had already spotted a small, hidden path that cut through the forest, a shortcut that would allow him to win the race easily.

“On your mark,” Sang Kancil said, positioning himself at the starting line. The tiger crouched down beside him, ready to pounce forward.

“Get set… Go!” Sang Kancil shouted.

The tiger bolted off, sprinting down the race course as fast as his legs could carry him. But while the tiger was running at full speed, Sang Kancil darted off to the side, slipping into the hidden path and running swiftly through the trees. The shortcut allowed him to reach the hill and return to the starting line long before the tiger even realized what had happened.

When the tiger finally made it back, huffing and panting from exertion, he was shocked to see Sang Kancil standing there, looking completely relaxed.

“You’re back already?” the tiger gasped, astonished.

Sang Kancil smiled and nodded. “I told you, dear Tiger, I’m not only clever but also fast. You may be strong, but it seems you’ll have to work on your speed.”

The tiger, too embarrassed to admit defeat, slunk away into the forest, leaving Sang Kancil to enjoy his victory.

Sang Kancil spent the rest of the afternoon happily feasting on the fruits from the bush. He was full and satisfied, but the sun was beginning to set, and he knew it was time to head home. As he made his way back toward the river, he reflected on how his cleverness had once again saved him from danger.

However, his journey wasn’t over yet. As he approached the riverbank, he saw the crocodiles still lurking in the water, their eyes gleaming with anger from the earlier trick.

This time, Sang Kancil knew he couldn’t simply use the same trick to get across. The crocodiles wouldn’t fall for it again. He would have to think of a new plan—and fast.

Just as Sang Kancil was pondering his next move, he noticed a tall tree growing near the riverbank. The branches of the tree stretched out over the water, and an idea formed in his mind.

With a quick glance at the crocodiles, Sang Kancil climbed up the tree and onto one of the overhanging branches. The branch was sturdy enough to hold his weight, and with a leap of faith, he jumped from the branch and landed safely on the other side of the river.

The crocodiles, realizing they had been outsmarted once again, snapped their jaws in frustration, but there was nothing they could do. Sang Kancil had safely made his way back across the river, leaving the angry crocodiles behind.

As Sang Kancil disappeared into the forest, he couldn’t help but chuckle at how easily he had outwitted the crocodiles. His cleverness had saved him once again, and he knew that as long as he remained sharp and quick-witted, he would continue to thrive in the forest.

From that day forward, Sang Kancil’s reputation as the cleverest creature in the forest only grew. The other animals marveled at his ability to outsmart even the fiercest predators, and they knew that as long as Sang Kancil was around, there was hope for even the smallest and weakest among them.

And so, Sang Kancil continued to live his life in the forest, always finding new ways to stay one step ahead of danger. He had many more adventures in the days and years to come, each one filled with excitement, danger, and clever tricks that left the other animals in awe.

But no matter how many times he outsmarted the crocodiles, the tiger, or any of the other creatures in the forest, Sang Kancil always remained humble, knowing that it was his wit, not his size or strength, that made him special.

And thus, the legend of Sang Kancil, the clever mouse deer, lived on, passed down through generations of storytellers and animals alike, as a reminder that even the smallest and seemingly weakest among us can triumph with intelligence and clever thinking.