Monkey Lyly had just woken up from a long nap in the warm afternoon sun. He stretched his arms, yawned loudly, and blinked at the jungle around him. Everything looked just as it should—green trees, chirping birds, and the scent of ripe bananas in the air. But something felt… off.
“Mom?” Lyly called, scratching his fluffy head. He usually found her gathering fruit near the big mango tree. Today, a female monkey stood there, holding bananas in both hands—but she looked different. Her fur was neatly groomed, and she wore a necklace made of colorful jungle flowers. Lyly tilted his head. She looked like his mother… but not exactly.
“Lyly, sweetheart!” the monkey said with a big smile. “Come have some bananas!”
Lyly took a cautious step forward. “Um… who are you???”
The female monkey laughed. “What do you mean, silly? I’m your mama!”
Lyly blinked. “No, my mama doesn’t wear flowers on her neck. And her fur isn’t that neat. And she never calls me ‘sweetheart’—just ‘Lyly!’”
The monkey laughed again, dropping the bananas. “Lyly, I just visited the river with Aunt Luma. She taught me how to fix my fur and make a flower necklace. Do I really look that different?”
Lyly’s eyes widened. “You mean… it’s really you?”
His mother nodded, smiling.
Lyly rushed to hug her. “Mama! I didn’t recognize you! I thought someone turned you into a fancy monkey!”
She giggled. “Well, maybe I needed a little change. But I’ll always be your mama, no matter what I wear.”
From that day on, Lyly learned that even if someone looks a little different on the outside, they’re still the same on the inside. And sometimes, a little change isn’t so bad—especially if it smells like fresh flowers and comes with sweet bananas.
