It was a sunny afternoon, and little Monkey Lyly had been playing all morning, jumping around the house with her boundless energy. When lunchtime came, her mother lovingly prepared her favorite dish—steamed sweet potatoes with banana slices on the side. She carefully placed the colorful meal in Lyly’s little bowl and called her to eat.
Lyly came hopping into the kitchen, her eyes lighting up—until she saw what was in the bowl.
Her smile vanished.
She poked at the sweet potatoes with her tiny fingers and wrinkled her nose. She took one bite, then another, and suddenly her cheerful energy was gone. Without saying a word, she slid down from her chair, grabbed the bowl, and tiptoed to the trash can. She looked around to make sure her mother wasn’t watching and quickly dumped the food.
Just as she was about to close the lid, her mother walked into the kitchen. “Lyly! What happened to your lunch?”
Lyly froze, eyes wide like she’d just been caught in the middle of a great mystery. “Umm… it fell… accidentally?” she mumbled, clearly unsure of her excuse.
Mom gently took Lyly’s hand and crouched down beside her. “Sweetheart, did you not like the food today?”
Lyly’s lips trembled. “It’s not that I don’t like it… it tasted different. Not like before.”
Mom paused, then remembered—she had accidentally added a new type of sweet potato this time, a firmer kind with a slightly different taste. “Oh no,” she laughed softly. “Mommy used the wrong potatoes, didn’t she?”
Lyly nodded slowly. “It wasn’t yummy like before…”
Mom hugged her gently. “I’m sorry, baby. Next time I’ll use the ones you like, okay? But next time, just tell me. We can always fix it.”
Lyly smiled, her disappointment fading. “Okay, Mommy. I promise.”
Later that evening, they cooked the usual sweet potatoes together, laughing the whole time—and not a single bite went to waste.
