One sunny morning in the jungle, Poki Monkey woke up early, eager to swing through the trees and look for mangoes. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he heard strange noises coming from the other side of the treehouse. Curious, Poki tiptoed closer to his mom’s room.
To his surprise, there was his mom sitting in front of a shiny leaf she used as a mirror. But what shocked Poki most was what she was doing—she was drawing on her face with sticks, smearing colors across her cheeks, and brushing her lashes with a fuzzy black wand.
“MOM!” Poki gasped, his eyes wide as bananas. “What are you doing to your face?!”
Mama Monkey giggled. “I’m putting on makeup, Poki. I have a party with the jungle moms today!”
Poki stared, confused. “But… why are you changing your face? You already look like you!”
Mama Monkey smiled and pulled him close. “Makeup doesn’t mean I don’t like how I look. It’s just fun—like painting or dressing up. It helps me feel a little fancy for special occasions.”
Poki scratched his head. “So it’s like face painting?”
“Exactly!” she said, showing him the soft brushes and colorful powders.
Poki’s curiosity turned into excitement. “Can I try? I want to look like a tiger!”
With a laugh, Mama Monkey handed him a brush. Before long, Poki had orange cheeks and black stripes drawn across his forehead. He roared proudly at his reflection in the mirror-leaf.
Later, when they walked through the jungle to the party, other animals smiled at Poki’s tiger face and Mama’s shimmery eyes. Poki realized that makeup wasn’t something scary—it was just another way to play, create, and feel special.
From that day on, whenever Mama Monkey got ready for a celebration, Poki would sit beside her, ready with his tiger stripes and his biggest jungle smile.
