It was a quiet morning at the rescue home, and everyone was getting ready to start the day. Dad, the caretaker, was about to head out to the garden to do some work, but little monkey Cubis had other plans. From the moment he saw Dad pick up his sandals, Cubis’s eyes widened with worry. He knew exactly what that meant—Dad was going somewhere without him!
As soon as Dad turned his back, Cubis crept closer, his tiny hands reaching out with lightning speed. In one swift move, he snatched a sandal and darted off, squeaking loudly as if declaring victory. Dad turned around just in time to see his mischievous little shadow running away, dragging the oversized sandal across the floor.
“Cubis! Bring that back!” Dad called out, half laughing, half pretending to sound stern. But Cubis wasn’t listening—he was already climbing onto the couch, clutching the sandal like a prized treasure. He hugged it tightly, peeking over the edge to see if Dad was following him.
When Dad took a step closer, Cubis squealed and jumped to the other side of the room, still holding the sandal. The caretakers couldn’t stop laughing as the little monkey tried to hide his “loot” behind a pillow. It was clear—Cubis didn’t want Dad to leave.
Finally, Dad sat down beside him, reaching out his hand. “If I stay for a bit, will you give it back?” he asked softly. Cubis looked at him for a long moment, then slowly crawled into his lap, still holding the sandal. He placed it beside Dad, wrapping his tiny arms around his arm as if to say, “Don’t go, stay with me.”
Dad couldn’t resist. He gave Cubis a gentle pat on the head, laughing at his clever trick. The two sat together for a while, enjoying their quiet moment.
Later, when Dad finally stood up to leave, Cubis followed closely behind—making sure those sandals didn’t walk away without him again!
