Counting Crocodiles

ON the river island of Oki, there lived a hare who wished to visit the mainland. He would sit by the riverside and look longingly across the stretch of water, which he knew he could never cross on his own.

One day, a crocodile that lived in the river, poked his head out of the water and looked hungrily at the hare.

“Why do you look at the king of the hares in this way?” said the hare.

“King of the hares?” asked the crocodile, laughing.

“Do you know I have more subjects serving me than there are crocodiles between here and the mainland?” said the hare.

“That is ridiculous,” replied the crocodile. “You have no idea of our teeming numbers. If you were only to see us all together, you would be struck with terror,” he cried.

“All right. Let me see if what you say is right,” said the hare calmly.

So the crocodile went below the water and soon the river was choked with crocodiles.

“Well, have you ever seen so many crocodiles?” asked the first crocodile, appearing again.

“No, but we outnumber you,” replied the hare. “The only way to make sure is to count how many there are of you. Tell your friends to move closely together and form a line, so I can count them.”

The crocodiles lined up and the hare jumped onto the first one and shouted, “One!” Then he jumped onto the back of the second and said, “Two!”

In this way he reached the mainland jumping from back to back.

He yelled, “You fools, all that you achieved was to build a bridge for one.” And he scampered off leaving the crocodiles snapping their jaws in anger.