Why Alligator Hates Dog

M’SU COCODRIE, THE ALLIGATOR, was once king of all the swamps and the bayous.

- J.J. Reneaux

All the critters cut a wide circle ’round ol’ Cocodrie lest they wind up in his belly. Even Man with his traps and guns was wary of M’su Cocodrie. One snap of those jaws and a fella could lose an arm, a leg, or even his life. M’su Cocodrie enjoyed the respect and fear of everybody—everybody, that is, except for those old, sassy dogs. How those dogs loved to tease and mock him—from a safe distance, of course!

Back in those days, M’su Cocodrie lived in a deep, dark, muddy hole in the bank of the bayou, not far from the cabane home of Man and his pesky dogs. In the evening he loved to curl up in his hole and take a little nap before he went hunting for his supper. But just as he was dozing off, the dogs up at the cabane would start carryin’ on, howlin’, whinin’, barkin’, teasin’, till he thought he’d go mad! 

They’d howl out, “M’suuuu Cocodrie! M’suuuu Cocodrie! Come and get us . . . IF YOU DARE!” And ooowhee! Alligator couldn’t even do a thing about it, ’cept gnash those big ol’ sharp teeth, thump his tail, and wait for one of those dogs to get just a little too close.

“One of these days I’m gonna get them dogs,” he’d hiss. “I’ll teach them to mock me, the King o’ the Swamp!”