Once upon a time there was a crocodile. He lived in Florida in the everglades. He liked to pretend he was a log.

He would just lie in the water. And he would feel like a log and he would look like a log. The current would take him wherever it wanted just as if he were a log. But really he was a crocodile.

One day a little boy and girl were walking along the edge of the swamp. The little boy saw this neat log in the water. He said "Let's walk on the log." So they did.

But the log began to move away from the shore. "Here we go, ready or not", said the little girl. They were very scared! But it was so much fun they forgot they were scared.

As they floated along, the little boy noticed something strange and he said "This end of the log has eyes." Then the little girl said "And this end is a tail."

Just then the crocodile flapped his tail and opened his mouth all the way. And he said: "And this is my mouth which is big enough to eat you up." The two children ran to the center of the crocodile, threw their arms around each other and shook with fear.

Then the crocodile laughed and said "but instead I'll give you a ride." Then he stopped drifting like a log and started swimming through the water very quickly. It was good fun.

He took them all through the everglades. And he showed them giant turtles, the fish and the other crocodiles.

After that he gave the children a ride just about every day. They would check to see that he had a certain black spot on his back before they got on him. Guy, if it was some other crocodile maybe they would be eaten. And he would take them for a different trip every day. The children got to be friends with all the swamp animals.

Sometimes he would even take them to the ocean where they would watch the breakers come in and see the passing ships. But he always got them back home in time for lunch or dinner, whichever it was. So their mommy never worried and in fact never knew about the crocodile at all.

One day the crocodile went to their home because he hadn't seen them for several days. That was because they had gone away on vacation. He went right up to the front door and scratched on it.

Their Mommy came to the door, but when she saw the crocodile she ran right out the back door and into the back yard. She grabbed the children and started to bundle them off to the neighbors. But when she yelled "Crocodile! Crocodile!", they said "Oh good, our friend is here."

They had to talk to her for a long time, but finally she understood that the crocodile was their friend. So they all became good friends and went for rides in the swamp. And everyone in town got to know the crocodile and went for rides in the everglades. Finally all the animals and people were friends. And that was a lot of fun -- especially for the children.

THE END