How the Crocodile Became Powerful

The crocodile was the largest, most graceful creature in the river; his body was a deep, rich, earthy brown covered in soft skin, and he swam smoothly through the deepest water. Yet his beauty brought envy, and all the fish and frogs sharing the river with him were jealous. Every day, they ganged up on him as he ate from the reeds and grasses that grew on the riverbanks, and soon the crocodile feared everything around him.

“Why do you put up with it?” asked Elegguá when he found the crocodile cowering in tall reeds, hiding from the other fish in the river. “You are so big! Why do you let them scare you?”

Quietly, so no one else could hear, he whispered, “Because the frogs make terrible noises; I can never sleep because they wake me. And the fish have teeth, and they bite me when my back is turned. I can't take it anymore!”

“You need to make ebó!” the orisha told the crocodile. “Bring me twenty-one coconuts and twenty-one iron spikes. You'll never be afraid again!”

The crocodile had never heard of ebó before, but for some reason, he trusted the orisha. At night when the other river creatures were sleeping, he slid from his hiding place and gathered the things for which Elegguá asked. By morning, the orisha had his coconuts and nails.

“Open your mouth!” Elegguá said, and one by one, he slipped the iron spikes in the crocodile's gums, giving him sharp teeth. “Turn around,” he ordered, and while the crocodile's back was turned, Elegguá split the coconuts and put the shards down his spine and on his sides. They formed a rock-hard armor that nothing could break. “Now you have no reason to be afraid of anything!”

Cautiously, the crocodile slid through the water; and as he swam, the fish bit at him. They broke their teeth on his rough skin. Still, the bites hurt, and the crocodile opened his great mouth and bit down, slicing their bodies in half.

They tasted good, much better than the grasses and reeds he lived on.

Since that day, the crocodile has been the most powerful animal in the river, with skin so hard no one can hurt him, and teeth so sharp he can eat everything.

He was king of the river, and never felt fear again.