At first, Monkey Lyly didn’t want to go home with her mother. She was having too much fun outside—chasing butterflies, climbing trees, and playing with the other animals in the warm sunshine. Her mother gently called her several times, but Lyly shook her head and ran in the opposite direction, making playful sounds as if to say, “Just a little longer!”
Her mom waited patiently, watching her from a distance. She knew that Lyly was young and full of energy, but she also knew what was coming. The sky had been slowly turning gray, the wind growing cooler. Rain was on the way.
Soon, dark clouds rolled in and the first drops began to fall. A loud clap of thunder echoed through the trees. Lyly stopped playing. The other animals scattered to find shelter. Suddenly, the world didn’t feel so fun anymore. She was cold, her fur was wet, and her playful heart turned anxious.
She looked around and didn’t see her mom right away. For the first time that day, Lyly felt scared. “Mama?” she called out softly, her voice trembling.
Then, through the rain, her mother appeared with a big leaf covering her head like an umbrella. She rushed to Lyly, picked her up gently, and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Lyly buried her face in her mother’s chest, warm tears mixing with the rain. “I’m sorry, Mama,” she seemed to say with her soft whimpers.
Back home, wrapped in a dry towel and sipping warm milk, Lyly clung to her mom and didn’t want to let go. She had learned an important lesson that day: sometimes, what feels fun in the moment can turn scary quickly, and nothing is safer or more comforting than being with someone who truly loves and protects you.
From that day on, when her mom called her home, Lyly came running—because she now knew why home truly matters.
