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Bewareofthecrocodilewave!AfarawaytalewithamoralByDavidSedmeraandPenelopeThomasOnceuponthetime,inacountryfar,faraway,probablySiam,livedalittlegirlnamedDuanphen,whichmeans‘FullMoon’.ShelivedwithherparentsinasmallvillageonthebanksofthemightyMekongriver.Everydayshehelpedhermotherwithherchores:fetchingwater,poundinggrain,preparingfood;butherfavoritetimewasalwaysfirstthinginthemorningasthesunrose,whenshewouldplay,notwithotherchildren,butinthecompanyofwildcreatures:birds,bugs,frogsandothersmallriversideanimals.Hermotherwarnedhertoalwayslookaroundcarefullywhengettingnearthewater.“Thisisabigriver,anddangerouscreatureslivethere!Especiallybewareofthecrocodiles,fortothemweareonly‘lunchnow’or‘toobigforlunchnow’.Theycanpullyouunderthewaterwiththeirteeth,andwewouldneverseeyouagain!”Onesunnymorning,Duanphenwasplayingclosetotheriverbankasusual,whensheheardastrangecall.Itmightbeafrog,shethought,thoughshehadneverheardafrogmakeasoundquitelikethat!Eagerlyshesearchedamongtheriversideweedsandreeds,and,eventuallyshediscoverednotafrogbutastrange-lookinglizard.Thelizardhissedatherdefensively,butcouldnotgetaway–itsfrontlegwastwisted,anditstailawkwardlyentangledinknottedreedroots.

Carefully,Duanphenfreedit,andsawwithsurprisethatitwasnotamerelizard,butababycrocodile!Shealsosawitsmanyteeth,andthoughtofhermother’swarning.Butmostofallshesawitsinjuries,notjustlegandtailbutraptorclawpuncturesinthesofterunderbellyskin,andinstinctivelyshewrappeditwithcareintobigleavesandcarriedithome.Backinthehut,herparentswerenotveryhappywiththenewarrival.“Crocodilesaredangerous!Youcannotkeepit!Putitbackrightnow!”ButDuanphenwasdeterminedtohealitfirst,andhermothersoongaveintoherdaughter’stears,providingthelittlecreaturelivedinitsownenclosurenexttotheirhut(whichherhusbandquicklybuilt).DuanphenherselfdugasmallpondsothatonhotdayslittleCrooky–forthat’swhatshedecidedtocallit,becauseofitscrookedlegandtail-couldcooloff.Everydayshefeditwithoffalandotherleftoversfromthekitchen(littleCrookylikedfishbest)soitgrewrapidlyanditsleghealedremarkablywellandtheraptorclawholesinitsundersideweresoonjusttinyscarsthatformedtheshapeofawaveofwater.Onlyitstailstayedtwisted.AsCrookygrewintoafineladycrocodile,andasDuanphenenlargedherpond,shesawthatherpatientwouldonlyeverswimawkwardlyandnevercatchenoughofherfavoritefishifreleasedintotheriver.Withasigh,sheexplainedtoCrookythat,althoughherbabycrocodileteethhadbeentoosmalltofightofftheraptorandherbabyskinsoftenoughtobepenetratedbyitsclawsallthattimeago,nowherbigteethandtoughskinwouldmakeheramatchforanypredator.Andthatshe,Duanphen,wouldalwaysmakesurethatCrookywouldhaveenoughtoeat.AndthusCrookystayedwiththefamilyandguardedthehutfromherenclosurelikeastrangelonggreendog,snappingherjawsasifto

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bitetheanklesofanyintruderswhogottooclosetothehutandhissingloudly,alertingthefamily.

Duanphenalsogrewupintoabeautifulgirl,and,despiteherstrangepet,thereweremanyboyswhotriedtoimpresshersothatshewouldmarrythem.Finally,shechoseChanchai,thebestfishermaninthevillage;notonlybecauseshelovedhisbigsmileandstrongarms,butalsobecausesheknewhewouldbeabletofeedbothherandCrooky.Andtheybuiltaboat,loadedupalltheirbelongings,andCrooky(inacage),andfloateddownstreamtowardsthesea,astheriveraroundthevillagewasratherstrippedoffish,andChanchaiwasnowafishermanwithresponsibilities.Afteralongandinterestingjourney(toolongandinterestingtotellofhere),theybuiltalovelycottageonabeach,andsoontherewasanewlittlegirlinthehouse–DuanphennamedherHathai.Crookybehavedinamaternalwaytoo,asshehissedandsnappedherjawswhenanystrangergottooclosetothebaby.Butsoon,Hathaistartedtowalk,andinnotimeshewasrunningaroundfarfromthecottage,whereCrookycouldnotseeher.Hathaimostlovedthesoundofthesea,andshapeofthewaves,andplayingnearthem,whereshecouldbethefirsttomeetherfatherashelandedhisboatfulloffish.However,theseaisnotonlyhometobiggerfishthanariver,butalsobiggercrocodiles.Theyaresecretivecreatures,buteveniftheywerenot,Hathaiwouldnothavebeenafraidofthem–afterall,shewasgrowingupwithoneandconsidereditafamilypet,likethegeckos,whocaughtbugsatnightonthewallsoftheirwhitecottage.Soonefatefulday,shewasnotworriedatallwhenshesawaserpentinewavecomingherwayonthebeachinfrontofthecottage.Andalthoughhermotherwasnearbycollectingdriftwoodjustalongtheshore,andstartedyellingathertogetoutofthewater,Hathaididnothearheroverthesoundofwavescrashingtothebeach.Assherantowardsthescene,Duaphenwatched,helplessly,asthedeadly-shapedwavegotcloserandclosertoherdaughter,who,withinseconds,disappearedwithoutacryintothesurf.Hermotherandfatherweredistraught,especiallyDuanphenwhofeltdeeplythatitwasallherfault.IfonlyshehadtaughtHathaithemostimportantlesson:Bewareofthewavesthathidecrocodiles,fortothemweareonly‘lunchnow’or‘toobigforlunchnow’.Howcanachildknowthatwhilecrocodilesonlandcanlookharmless,almostcutewhentheyarefed,thosesharpregeneratingteetharenotfordecoration!?DuanphensighedandrememberedthedayshehadfoundCrooky.SherememberedhowmuchshehadwantedtosaveCrooky’slife.Crocodilescannothelpbeingcrocodiles.Andpeoplewhosavethelivesofinjuredcrocodilesshouldnotstopbeingcaringpeoplebecauseofthat.ButlosingHathaileftherfeelinglikeher

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ownhearthadbeentornout.TearsrolleddownhercheeksontothefishasshefedthemtoCrooky.Hathai’sparentssearchedthebeachoverandoveragain,andwouldnotgiveuphopebutofcoursealltheirfriendsandneighboursshooktheirheadsandsaiditwasinvain.

NowIassumeyouwantthistaletohaveahappyending…andIamhappytooblige,ifyoujustsitquietlyandlisten.Theserpentinewavehidamonstercroc,yes,butthiswasactuallyChakrii,theKingoftheSeas,andhewassearchingdesperatelyforawife,sinceheneededanheirtohisthrone,and

hadsimplyfollowedthetraditionalsignsthatshouldleadhimtotherightbeachtofindher.HehadtakenHathaitohisunderwaterpalaceandtriedtotrainherasaQueenoftheSeasinthetraditionalmanner(youcanseethatreptiles,eventhebigones,don’thaveverysophisticatedbrains:howcouldahumangirl,evenwithallhismagicpowers,givehimtheegghedesired?!)However,Hathaiwasnotveryhappy,eventhoughthepalacewasquitebeautifulinitsownway,andkeptcryingforherfamily,hertearsminglingwiththewaterthatformedthewavesshelovedsomuch.Herparentsmournedthelossoftheironlychild.Duanphenhardlyeverstoppedcrying,andChanchaichewedhisfingernailsdowntothequicktryingtofigureoutwhathecoulddotoconsoleher.Nevertheless,hestillwentfishingsincetheystillhadtoeat.Andsoithappenedhecaughtabeautifulgoldfish.Hewasjustthinkingperhapshecouldsellthisfishtotherichlocalmerchantforhispondandthusaffordtomovesomewherenewtohelphiswifeforgettheirlosswhenitstartedtotalktohim!Itpromisedthat,ifhereleasedit,itwouldansweranyonequestionabouttheunderwaterworld.(Now,youmaynotbelievethisbecauseyouhaveonlyeverheardofmagicalcreaturesgrantingthreewishesbutitwasonlyaweefishanditsmagicwasnotyetstrongenoughtograntmorethanone).ButChanchaididnothavetothinktwice–allhewantedtoknowwerethewhereaboutsofhisbeloveddaughter,Hathai.Andthegoldfish,wholovedgossipabovealldespiteitsyouth,toldhimeverything–aboutChakrii,hispredicament,andalsothathisdaughterissafeandwellfed,despitebeingquiteunhappy.ChanchaigratefullyreleasedthefishandreturnedhometobringthenewstohiswifeDuanphen.(WhatwouldyoudoifyourmarriagepartnertoldyouthatatalkinggoldfishhadtoldyouthatyourmissingdaughterhadbeentakentobewifeofthecrocodileKingoftheSea?Nevermind.Hereiswhatactuallyhappened.)

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Duanphendriedhertearsandstartedtothinkhard.Afterawhile,shehadaplan–aproblemcausedbyacrocodilecouldbesolvedwithanothercrocodile!SheexplainedittoChanchaiandsenthimofftosetsailandbargainwithChakriforHathaiofferingCrookyasamoresuitablebrideforhim.Afterlengthysearchingandevenlengthiernegotiations(crocodilescantaketheirtime,andChakriiwasalengthycrocodile!),ChakriifinallyagreedtotakealookatCrookybymoonlight.Whenhefirstsawheronland,hewasnotconvinced,andstartedtoturntoswimaway,butHathai(whomhebroughtwithhimtocheckitwasCrookyandnotjustanycrocodile)shoutedinjoyatseeingCrookyagain;andsoheturnedbackjustassheslidintothewaterfromherenclosureandsawthewaveshapeformedbythescarsonherbelly.Thiswas,ofcourse,thespecialsignoftheperfectpartnerfortheKingoftheSeas!That,andCrooky’sconsumingthefishontowhichHathai’smother’ssaltwatertearsofsorrowhadfallen…Andso,afterananxiouswaitonthebeach,herparents’heartswererefilledwithjoyastheysawHathaiinthelightoftherisingsun,asleepinpatchofseaweedonsomerocksnearby.

AndsoChakriigothismate;Crookygotoneofherkintotalkto,afullcrocodilelifeatlast,anddelightfulunderwaterpalaceswithplentyoffish;Chanchaishowedhisgratitudebysailingtowherehefirstmetthegoldfishonceayeartoswapgossip;Hathairememberednounhappydetailsofherkidnapping,butdevelopedagreatgiftforpaintingpicturesoftheseafromasafedistance,ofcourse;andDuanphen…(well,youalreadyknowthat,don’tyou?)…yes,theyalllivedhappilyeverafter!Moralis:Youcanbelievewhatyoulikeabouttalesfromfarawayplaces,butforhappinessalwaystrytobethebestofwhatyouare,andrememberthatpeoplearepeople,andcrocodilesarecrocodiles.ThainamesHathai/HeartDuanphen/FullMoonChanchai/SkilledWinnerChakrii/King