It happened one day, by a wide, slow river, that a sleek Fox was taking a stroll. He spotted a large Crocodile sunning himself on the muddy bank.

The Crocodile, feeling rather proud, opened one sleepy eye. "Good day, Fox," he rumbled. "Did you know my family is one of the oldest and most important in this whole river? My ancestors were kings and queens of the water!"

The Fox, who was quite clever, listened patiently. Then he smiled a little. "That's a very grand story, Mr. Crocodile," he said. "But if we were to look for proof, say, in old books or famous statues of your great family, we might not find them. Your tough, leathery skin tells us you're a strong crocodile, but it doesn't exactly shout about all those noble deeds of your ancestors, does it?"

The Crocodile blinked. He puffed out his chest, then slowly let the air out. He didn't have a good answer. He realized that just talking about how great his family was long ago didn't mean much if he couldn't show anything for it himself.

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