# How do you make The Monkey and the Crocodile into a cartoon video?

Canonical page: https://www.veedio.co/stories/the-monkey-and-the-crocodile
Updated: 2026-10-30

Build it around the river crossing. A monkey in a fruit tree shares sweet fruit with a crocodile and they become friends. The crocodile's wife wants the monkey's heart, so the crocodile offers him a ride home on his back. Halfway across, he admits the plan, and the monkey says he left his heart in the tree. Back at the bank, the monkey climbs to safety. Nine 3D scenes, about 85 seconds.

Key facts:
- The tale opens Book IV of the Panchatantra, “Loss of Gains”, in Arthur W. Ryder's 1925 translation on Wikisource.
- In Hindi it is widely known as “Bandar aur Magarmachh”.
- 3D render is one of Veedio's visual styles.
- Veedio can narrate the same script in English, Hindi, Tamil or any of its 29 languages.

## Nine-scene script: friendship, trick and escape (about 85 seconds)

Runtime: about 85 seconds.

**Scene 1**
- Voiceover: On the bank of a wide river stood a jamun tree, heavy with sweet purple fruit. In it lived a cheerful monkey named Raktamukha.
- Visual: 3D animated riverbank, a large leafy jamun tree full of dark purple berries leaning over sparkling water, a small brown monkey with a pale face and a red waistcoat swinging from a branch.
- On screen: The jamun tree

**Scene 2**
- Voiceover: One hot afternoon, a tired crocodile named Karalamukha rested under the tree. The monkey dropped him some fruit. “Here, friend. Try these!”
- Visual: 3D shot of a long green crocodile with a friendly rounded snout and a small yellow scarf lying on the riverbank, catching a purple fruit, the monkey leaning down smiling.

**Scene 3**
- Voiceover: The fruit was delicious. Every day after that, the crocodile visited and the monkey shared his fruit. They told stories and laughed for hours.
- Visual: 3D montage-style warm shot of the monkey sitting on a low branch and the crocodile half in the water below, both laughing, a pile of fruit between them, sunset colours.
- On screen: Best friends

**Scene 4**
- Voiceover: The crocodile took fruit home to his wife. She tasted it and said, “A monkey who eats such sweet fruit must have a very sweet heart. Bring me his heart!”
- Visual: 3D shot of a crocodile home on a sandbank, a crocodile wife with a pink flower behind her eye and folded arms, the crocodile looking worried and torn.

**Scene 5**
- Voiceover: The crocodile did not want to, but he went back to the tree. “Come home with me for dinner,” he said. “I'll carry you across on my back.”
- Visual: 3D medium shot of the crocodile in the water by the bank inviting the monkey with a forced smile, the monkey happily climbing down onto his broad back.

**Scene 6**
- Voiceover: In the middle of the river, the crocodile stopped. “I'm sorry, friend,” he said. “My wife wants your heart.” The monkey's eyes went wide. Then he thought fast.
- Visual: 3D wide shot of the crocodile floating in the middle of a broad river with the monkey on his back, far from both banks, the monkey's face changing from surprise to a clever look.
- On screen: Think fast!

**Scene 7**
- Voiceover: “Oh dear!” said the monkey. “Why didn't you tell me? I keep my heart up in the jamun tree. Take me back, and I'll fetch it for you.”
- Visual: 3D close-up of the monkey patting his chest and pointing back toward the tree on the far bank, an exaggerated innocent expression, the crocodile blinking in confusion.

**Scene 8**
- Voiceover: The crocodile swam back. As soon as they reached the bank, the monkey leapt into the highest branches. “Nobody keeps their heart in a tree!” he called down.
- Visual: 3D action shot of the monkey springing from the crocodile's back up into the high branches of the jamun tree, leaves flying, the crocodile left in the shallows looking up.

**Scene 9**
- Voiceover: “You tried to trick a friend, so our friendship is over.” The crocodile swam away, ashamed. When you are in danger, stay calm and think. A quick mind can save you.
- Visual: 3D sunset finale: the monkey sitting safely high in the tree eating a fruit, the crocodile swimming slowly away across golden water, ripples behind him.
- On screen: Stay calm and think

## 3D character prompts

- **Raktamukha the monkey** — Generous, cheerful and quick-thinking. The red waistcoat keeps him easy to spot on the crocodile's green back. Visual prompt: 3D animated character, small brown monkey with a pale tan face and big round amber eyes, a long curly tail, a little red waistcoat with gold buttons, playful grin, soft studio lighting, family-film quality.
- **Karalamukha the crocodile** — Not evil, just weak-willed. Rounded features keep him friendly-looking for young children. Visual prompt: 3D animated character, long green crocodile with a rounded friendly snout, no visible sharp teeth, big worried yellow eyes, bumpy back, a small yellow scarf, soft studio lighting, family-film quality.
- **The crocodile's wife** — Appears once, in scene 4. Keep her comic rather than scary. Visual prompt: 3D animated character, plump green crocodile with a pink hibiscus flower behind one eye, a shell necklace, arms folded, raised eyebrow, comic expression, soft studio lighting.
- **The jamun tree** — Home and safety. Its height matters for the ending. Visual prompt: 3D animated environment, a tall leafy jamun tree heavy with small dark purple fruit, leaning over a wide sparkling river, warm tropical sunlight, lush green banks.

## The moral and a note for parents and teachers

Moral: presence of mind can save you in danger. A second lesson: a true friend never betrays you, and a friend who tries to is not a friend.

Age band: 4 to 9. The talk of the monkey's heart can sound alarming to very young children, so the script keeps it brief and moves straight to the monkey's clever idea.

The Panchatantra was composed as lessons for young princes, so its tales are about practical wisdom as much as kindness. For teachers: pause at scene 6 and ask, “What would you do?” Children love coming up with their own escape ideas. For parents: talk about the crocodile too. He let someone else talk him into hurting a friend. That is a good conversation about peer pressure for older children.

## Variations

- Bedtime version: end with the monkey watching the stars from his tree, and a small hint that the crocodile is sorry. Use the George voice, Lo-fi music, 90s length.
- Classroom version: add a pause card after scene 6, “How can the monkey escape?” Then reveal the trick. Use Alice as narrator and Karaoke captions.
- Hindi narration: title it “Bandar aur Magarmachh ki Kahani”. Set the language to Hindi; opening line: “नदी किनारे जामुन के पेड़ पर एक बंदर रहता था।” (A monkey lived in a jamun tree by the river.)
- Tamil narration: Tamil is supported too. The same nine scenes fit the same 90s length.

## Suggested settings

| Setting | Choice |
| --- | --- |
| Style | 3D render |
| Voice | George for a classic storyteller, or Jessica for a brighter feel |
| Captions | Bounce for the escape, or Karaoke for reading practice |
| Music | AI score, so the river scene can turn tense and resolve |
| Length and ratio | 90s; 9:16 for Shorts or 16:9 for a kids playlist |
| Media per scene | Stills with slow pans for most; AI motion for the leap in scene 8 |

## FAQ

### What is the moral of The Monkey and the Crocodile?

Stay calm and think in danger; quick wit can save you. The story also teaches that someone who betrays your trust is not a true friend.

### Is The Monkey and the Crocodile from the Panchatantra?

Yes. It is the frame story of Book IV, “Loss of Gains”, about how a fool can be talked out of something he already has. A similar tale also appears in the Jataka stories.

### Why does the crocodile's wife want the monkey's heart?

She thinks a monkey who eats such sweet fruit must have a sweet heart. For young children, keep this line short and focus on the monkey's clever answer rather than the wife's wish.

### What fruit does the monkey give the crocodile?

Many Indian retellings use jamun (rose apple or black plum); Ryder's translation describes rose-apples. Use jamun for Indian audiences, since that is the version most children know.

### What age is this story suitable for?

Roughly 4 to 9. Nobody is hurt, and the clever escape makes it exciting rather than frightening.

### How do I keep the monkey visible on the crocodile's back?

Give him a strong contrasting colour, like the red waistcoat, and describe both characters together in the visual for scenes 5 to 8. Wide river shots need the monkey to stand out against green.

## Sources

- [“The Monkey and the Crocodile”, The Panchatantra trans. Arthur W. Ryder (1925), Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Panchatantra_(Purnabhadra%27s_Recension_of_1199_CE)/Book_4/The_Monkey_and_the_Crocodile) (checked 2026-10-30)
- [The Panchatantra (Purnabhadra's Recension of 1199 CE), trans. Arthur W. Ryder, Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Panchatantra_(Purnabhadra%27s_Recension_of_1199_CE)) (checked 2026-10-30)
- [YouTube Help: Determining if your content is made for kids](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9528076) (checked 2026-10-30)

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