Monkey Lyly sat at the wooden table in the middle of the jungle clearing, her arms crossed and a deep frown on her furry face. In front of her sat a plate piled high with fresh green vegetables—spinach leaves, carrots, and crunchy cucumbers.
“Lyly, eat your vegetables,” her mother said gently, placing a glass of milk beside her. “They’re good for your health.”
“But Mama,” Lyly whined, pushing the plate away with a dramatic sigh, “I don’t want to eat them. They taste like leaves!”
Her mother chuckled. “They are leaves, dear. But they make you strong, and your fur shiny. Even Grandpa Monkey eats his greens.”
Lyly’s eyes lit up when she saw the milk. She grabbed the glass and hugged it to her chest.
“What if I just drink milk instead?” she asked, trying to charm her mother with a sweet smile. “Milk has calcium! It’s good for my bones, right?”
“Yes, but milk alone isn’t enough,” her mother replied. “Your body needs all kinds of nutrients—vitamins from vegetables, too.”
Lyly stuck out her tongue. “Can’t you just mash them into the milk? Like… veggie milkshake?”
“Nice try,” her mother said, raising an eyebrow.
Lyly thought hard. “How about this? I’ll eat one carrot if I can drink two glasses of milk!”
Her mother laughed. “How about this—you eat three bites of vegetables, and then you get one glass of milk and a banana for dessert.”
Lyly’s ears perked up at the mention of bananas. She loved bananas more than anything.
“Deal!” she shouted and immediately picked up her fork.
As she nibbled on a carrot, she realized it wasn’t so bad after all. With a bit of milk to wash it down, it was almost bearable.
And from that day on, Monkey Lyly didn’t complain too much about her vegetables—as long as there was milk and a banana waiting at the end.
