African legend has it that, before man inhabited the Earth, the crocodile had soft, smooth, golden skin that shimmered in the sun’s rays and in the moonlight.
The crocodile spent all day submerged in the muddy waters protecting its skin from the sun and only came out at night. The other swamp animals began to notice the beauty of the crocodile’s skin and flocked to admire it.
The crocodile was very proud of his skin and began to go out during the day to bask in the admiration of the other animals. Each day, he spent more and more time out of the muddy waters, exposing his skin to the scorching rays of the African sun.
“I’m very beautiful, don’t you think?” he asked his admirers.
-Of course! They all answered dazzled.
Soon, the animals got tired of the crocodile’s smug attitude and stopped visiting him.
The crocodile, hoping to regain lost attention, spent all day, every day, in the sun. His skin turned gray, lumpy, and scaly.
The crocodile never recovered from the embarrassment and even today it will disappear from sight in the presence of others, leaving only its eyes and nostrils above the surface of the water.