Monkey Lyly panicked when she discovered her mother’s baked sweet potatoes were burnt and then stared helplessly at the smoking pile in the oven. The sweet aroma that usually filled their jungle home had turned into a thick, bitter smell. Her wide eyes darted to the clock—only fifteen minutes left before the village’s Harvest Festival feast. Her mother, Mama Momo, had trusted her to watch the oven while she went to pick bananas for dessert. Now, all that remained of their special dish were charred black lumps.
“Oh no, oh no,” Lyly muttered, fanning the smoke with a palm leaf. “These were supposed to be the best part!”
She scrambled for an idea. The sweet potatoes were beyond saving, and she didn’t have time to start over. Then, inspiration struck. She grabbed a basket of ripe mangoes from the corner, chopped them quickly with her tiny paws, and tossed them with honey, coconut flakes, and roasted nuts. It wasn’t baked sweet potatoes, but it was colorful, sweet, and festive.
Just as she put the final touches on the dish, Mama Momo returned, her arms full of golden bananas.
“Lyly, is something burning?” Mama sniffed the air and eyed the oven.
“I’m so sorry, Mama!” Lyly confessed, her voice trembling. “I burnt the sweet potatoes… but I made something else instead.”
She stepped aside to reveal the mango-coconut salad glistening in a banana-leaf bowl. Mama Momo blinked, then smiled gently.
“You acted fast and didn’t give up. That’s what matters,” she said, hugging Lyly.
At the feast, Lyly’s mango creation was a hit. Monkeys young and old came back for seconds. Some even asked for the recipe.
From that day on, Lyly’s “Sweet Jungle Crunch” became a new tradition at the festival. And although she still helped Mama bake sweet potatoes each year, she always kept a basket of mangoes nearby—just in case.
