How Crocodile got its Ugly Skin

How Crocodile got its Ugly Skin, a Namibian folklore tale

Long, long ago when the world was young, Crocodile had smooth golden skin. Her beauty secret was a simple one: she would spend her days submerged in the river's muddy waters, only coming out at night

Crocodile's beauty soon became legendary, and during the daytime all the other animals would come to catch a glimpse of Crocodile and admire her beautiful golden skin

Crocodile noticed this and became very proud of her skin. She enjoyed coming out of the water to bask in the animals' admiration, especially when the midday sun glinted off her bejeweled epidermis

Egged on by the other animals' oohs and ahhs, she began to think she was better than her starry-eyed admirers. Her pride blossomed and soon she started bossing them around!

As one might expect, her change in attitude offended the other animals. They were put off by her haughtiness, and fewer and fewer showed up each day to gaze upon her glistening skin

Crocodile had come to crave the other animals' fawning admiration. She stayed out of the water for longer and longer times, hoping for an ooh or an ahh but all too often hearing no sound at all

As days passed, the hot African sun began to burn Crocodile's skin. Deprived of its natural sunscreen, it grew thicker and bumpier and uglier, and was transformed into what looked like bulging armor

The other animals still came to see her but now instead of admiring her, they laughed and mocked her misplaced vanity

Shamed and humbled, Crocodile retreated back into the muddy river. Today, they will disappear from view when others approach with only their eyes and nostrils visible above the surface of the water

(adapted, via African Heritage)

(images via Joris Komen and BBC)

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The Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) may be found along the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers' banks, the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve, and on the Kunene River eastwards from the Atlantic Ocean