Once Upon a Time in a Village Near London
In a peaceful village near London, there lived a young boy named William. He was a cheerful child who lived with his loving parents. William had a special companion—his loyal dog, Dogo. Since there were no other children of his age in the village, William spent most of his time playing with Dogo.
Near their house flowed a beautiful river. William and Dogo often played by the riverbank, but they never ventured into the water. The reason? A fearsome crocodile lived in the river. The villagers frequently spotted the crocodile basking in the sun on the far side of the river. Though it never attacked humans, it fiercely guarded the river’s fish. If anyone tried to fish there, the crocodile would chase them away as if declaring, “This is my river, and these fish belong to me!”
A Playful Day by the River Turns Dangerous
One bright afternoon, William and Dogo were playing a game of fetch near the river. William would throw the ball, and Dogo would excitedly chase it, bringing it back with wagging enthusiasm. The boy and his dog were having the time of their lives.
In a moment of playful excitement, William accidentally threw the ball too far—it landed across the river! Seeing this, Dogo instinctively ran toward the water, ready to retrieve the ball. William quickly grabbed Dogo’s leash and stopped him, pointing towards the river with concern.
“No, Dogo! The crocodile is in there,” he warned.
However, Dogo, eager to fetch the ball, kept pulling towards the river. William scanned the area, trying to spot the crocodile. His heart pounded when he saw the reptile basking on a rock some distance away.
A Sudden Turn of Events
Despite William holding onto the leash tightly, Dogo suddenly broke free and dashed into the water. Panic surged through William as he saw his beloved pet paddling towards the ball. As soon as Dogo splashed into the river, the crocodile stirred—it had heard the sound and slipped into the water.
William watched in terror as Dogo swam halfway across the river, unaware of the lurking danger. The boy shouted, “Dogo, hurry back!” but something was wrong—Dogo had stopped moving forward.
William’s worst fear came true—Dogo’s leash had tangled in the river plants! He struggled but couldn’t move forward or backward. Meanwhile, the crocodile was closing in.
A Race Against Time
Realising that he had no time to waste, William sprinted back home, shouting for his father.
“Daddy! Dogo is stuck in the river, and the crocodile is coming!” he cried.
His father rushed outside, saw the situation, and immediately took action. Dogo, now aware of the danger, began barking frantically.
“William, quickly fetch the fish from the kitchen!” his father ordered.
William ran inside and returned with a fresh fish. His father then instructed, “Listen carefully, son. You must be brave. Stand near the river and throw the fish into the water with force. The crocodile will get distracted, giving me enough time to save Dogo.”
William nodded, his heart pounding. He followed his father’s instructions, throwing the fish into the water while shouting loudly to catch the crocodile’s attention.
The crocodile turned towards the fish, momentarily changing direction. Seizing the opportunity, William’s father jumped into the river and swam towards Dogo, working swiftly to free him from the entangled plants.
A Narrow Escape
Just as the father managed to untangle Dogo, the crocodile noticed them again. It abandoned the fish and started swimming towards them.
“William, throw another fish closer to the crocodile!” his father yelled.
William quickly tossed another fish near the reptile, which immediately lunged at it. Those few seconds of distraction were all they needed—William’s father grabbed Dogo and swam back to safety.
As soon as they reached the shore, William hugged Dogo tightly, tears of relief streaming down his face. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, realising how close they had come to disaster.
A Lesson for Life
That day, William learned a valuable lesson. His father scolded him firmly, making him promise never to go near the river again without supervision.
This story teaches us an important lesson: we should always listen to our elders, as their wisdom can save us from danger.
Question & Answers
1. What is the moral of the story?
The story highlights the importance of listening to elders and acting wisely in dangerous situations.
2. Why was the crocodile aggressive towards people fishing?
The crocodile saw the river and its fish as its territory, so it chased away anyone trying to catch fish.
3. How did William’s father save Dogo?
By distracting the crocodile with fish, he bought enough time to untangle Dogo and bring him to safety.
4. What would have happened if William hadn’t fetched the fish?
Without a distraction, the crocodile might have reached Dogo before his father could rescue him.
5. Why did William promise never to go near the river again?
After the terrifying incident, he realised how dangerous the river was and understood the importance of obeying his parents.
