The Rabbit's Wisdom
The Rabbit and the Crocodile
Once upon a time, a clever Rabbit wanted to cross a wide river to get to a field of fresh, green carrots. However, the water was deep, and the Rabbit could not swim.
As he stood on the river bank thinking, he saw a giant Crocodile head pop out of the water. The Rabbit felt scared, but he quickly had an idea.
"Hello, Mr. Crocodile!" shouted the Rabbit. "The King of the Jungle has a question. He wants to know: who has more friends, you or me?"
The Crocodile was proud. "Of course I have more friends!" he said.
"Prove it!" said the Rabbit. "Call all your friends and line them up across the river so I can count them."
The Crocodile, wanting to show off, called all his crocodile friends. They floated side-by-side, creating a bridge of rough, green skin across the water.
"Now, stay still while I count!" said the Rabbit. He jumped onto the first crocodile's back. "One!" Then the next. "Two!" He jumped and counted all the way to the other side. "Three! Four! Five!"
When the Rabbit landed safely on the grass, he turned around and laughed. "Thank you for the bridge, you silly crocodiles! The King didn't ask anything. I just wanted to cross the river!"
The Crocodile was furious that he had been deceived by such a small animal. But the Rabbit was already gone, enjoying his carrots.
Cultural Note: Sophea Tonsay
In Cambodian culture, the rabbit (Sophea Tonsay) is a symbol of wisdom and justice. Unlike western stories where the rabbit is fast but lazy, in Khmer folktales, the rabbit is the smartest animal who solves problems and judges fairly.