This is the story of a crocodile who hated being a crocodile.

It was so unbearable to be a crocodile that he used to hide under the surface of a lake day and night. Only his eyes popped above the surface.

He used to watch with immense envy a group of gracious dancers above the water, lovely women in amazing tutu dresses. They danced on the lake, turned into swans, then became dancers again, at will. The crocodile was filled with wonder. He absolutely loved the show. He too wanted to be a swan and be able to turn into a dancer, and then become a swan again.

The crocodile once overheard a conversation between two swan-dancers. One statement in particular struck him: “You are what you eat"

There are many problems in the world, one of them is to take statements too literally.

In the beginning, the swan-dancers didn’t notice. There were so many of them that a few disappearances went unnoticed. The crocodile would catch his prey and devour it undisturbed but he kept being a crocodile, the poor thing.

What the crocodile did not know was that he was not truly a crocodile. He was actually a dreamer dreaming he was a crocodile.

The dreamer could become anything he liked. Once a dancer, once a swan, once a tree, once a fly... But when the dreamer found himself dreaming that he was a crocodile, he was suddenly seized with horror. Being a crocodile was so awful! In his state of shock, he lost the ability to change.

When the swan-dancers discovered that the lake was haunted by a greedy crocodile, they flew away.

The crocodile is still all alone in the middle of the lake, and he will stay there until he dares to count its teeth to the exact number.

Only then will he be able to remember it is a dreamer who can change its dream at will.

Jean-Marc