Cubis the monkey was in a rush. He had told Auntie he would go to the store and be back quickly—but as usual, Cubis got a little too excited. He grabbed his little backpack, tossed in a banana for the road, and zoomed toward the door.
“I’m going now, Auntie!” he shouted.
“Be careful, Cubis!” Auntie called from the kitchen.
But Cubis didn’t hear the warning. He was already halfway down the steps, swinging his arms with confidence and a big grin on his face.
The trouble started immediately.
First, as he reached for the gate, he didn’t notice the garden hose lying in his path. SPLAT! Cubis tripped and landed right into a muddy puddle. His clean shorts were now soaked and brown.
“Oops,” he muttered, standing up and wiping his face. “No big deal!”
He tried to shake it off and keep going, but then he remembered—he forgot the shopping list! He turned around to run back, but just as he did, he bumped into Mr. Goose, the grumpy neighbor bird.
“Watch where you’re going, young monkey!” Mr. Goose honked, flapping his wings in frustration.
“Sorry!” Cubis squeaked, ducking under the flapping feathers and scrambling back to the house.
When he finally made it to the porch, he slipped again—this time on his own banana peel, which he had dropped earlier without noticing.
Thud!
Auntie came running outside. “Cubis! What in the world happened to you?”
He sat there, muddy, feather-covered, and rubbing his head, looking up sheepishly.
“I was just trying to go out like a big monkey…”
Auntie couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe next time, try walking instead of racing!”
She helped him clean up, handed him the shopping list, and made sure his shoes were tied properly.
And this time, when Cubis headed out the door again, he walked slowly—carefully avoiding the hose, the goose, and especially any rogue banana peels! 🍌🐒
