In the wide savannas of Guinea, where the river winds through tall grasses and the sky stretches endlessly, two very different creatures formed an unlikely bond. The crocodile ruled the waters with his sharp teeth and heavy tail. The kite soared above the skies with wings that caught every breeze. Though one lived in water and the other in air, they admired each other’s gifts.
One day as the kite swooped low over the river, he called down, “Brother Crocodile, you are strong in the water, and I am swift in the air. What if we became friends and helped one another?”
The crocodile lifted his head above the water and smiled, showing teeth as sharp as spears. “Yes, Kite, let us be friends. If danger comes to you, I will fight with my strength. If danger comes to me, you will warn me with your keen eyes.”
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The animals of the forest murmured in surprise. A bird and a crocodile, friends? Still, they watched with curiosity as the two sealed their pact of loyalty.
For a time, the friendship flourished. When hunters came near the river, the kite circled above, crying out to warn the crocodile. When a jackal tried to snatch the kite’s chicks, the crocodile surged onto the bank and chased the predator away. Together, they became a symbol of unity between sky and water.
But peace is fragile when pride and suspicion creep into hearts.
One dry season, food grew scarce. The crocodile grew thin and restless. One afternoon, he gazed at the kite perched on a branch above. His eyes lingered on the bird’s plump chest. “Why should I always hunt for fish when I have such a tender meal flying above me?” he thought. Yet he remembered their pact and held his hunger in check.
The kite, from his high branch, noticed the way the crocodile stared at him. His feathers prickled with unease. “Does my friend see me as food?” he wondered.
The next morning, when the crocodile invited him closer, the kite hesitated. “Come down, Brother Kite,” said the crocodile, his voice smooth as the river. “I have caught fish to share.”
But the kite replied sharply, “And what if your teeth close on me instead of the fish? A friend who hungers for me is no friend at all.”
The crocodile roared with anger. “How dare you doubt me after all we have shared? You insult my loyalty!”
The kite spread his wings. “And how dare you look at me with hunger? Trust once broken cannot be repaired.”
The argument split the forest in two. Some animals sided with the crocodile, saying, “He has always been loyal until now.” Others defended the kite, saying, “He saw the truth in the crocodile’s eyes. Better to fly away than be betrayed.”
That very night, their friendship ended. The kite no longer circled above the river, and the crocodile no longer rose to greet him. They returned to their separate worlds, one in water and one in air.
But their story did not vanish. The griots carried it from village to village, reminding people that promises bind not just the tongue but the heart. Once suspicion enters, even the strongest bonds can break.
Moral Lesson
This Guinean folktale warns us that trust is as delicate as a bird’s feather. Once broken, it cannot return to its original form. Friendship requires loyalty, and betrayal destroys even the strongest bonds.
Knowledge Check:
What is the main lesson of the Guinean folktale The Crocodile and the Kite?
That trust is fragile, and once it is broken, even strong friendships cannot survive.Why did the crocodile and the kite decide to become friends in The Crocodile and the Kite?
They admired each other’s strengths: the crocodile’s power in water and the kite’s sharp eyes in the sky.How did the crocodile and the kite help each other in their friendship?
The kite warned the crocodile of danger, and the crocodile protected the kite’s chicks from predators.What caused suspicion to grow between the crocodile and the kite?
The crocodile grew hungry during a dry season and began to look at the kite as food, which the kite noticed.What did the kite mean when he said, ‘Trust once broken cannot be repaired’?
That once betrayal enters a relationship, the bond of friendship is lost forever.Why is The Crocodile and the Kite considered an important Guinean folktale?
Because it reflects the cultural value of loyalty and the dangers of betrayal in both human and animal relationships.
Source: Contes de Guinée, collected by Djibril Tamsir Niane.
