Monkey Lyly loved her little blue swimming pool more than bananas. It sat in the backyard under the big mango tree, filled with cool water and floating leaves. Every afternoon, she’d splash around, pretending to be a sea captain or a frog queen. So, when Lyly came home from school one sunny afternoon and saw her mother dragging the pool toward the trash pile, she froze in shock.
“Mom!” Lyly cried, dropping her backpack. “What are you doing?!”
Her mother looked up, slightly startled. “Oh, Lyly, I didn’t hear you. I’m getting rid of this old thing.”
“But… but it’s my favorite!” Lyly said, her voice rising with panic. “Why would you throw it away?”
Her mom gave the pool a pat. “Sweetie, look at it. It’s full of holes, the bottom is cracked, and it leaks water every time we fill it. It’s just not safe anymore.”
Lyly’s eyes filled with tears. She hadn’t noticed the cracks—she’d been too busy having fun. “But it still works… sort of,” she whispered.
Mom knelt beside her. “I know how much you love it. But sometimes, we have to let go of old things to make room for new ones.”
Lyly sniffled. “New ones?”
Her mom smiled. “Why don’t we look for a new pool this weekend? Maybe one even bigger—one you can swim in with your cousins.”
Lyly’s eyes lit up, just a little. “Bigger?”
“And with floaties. Maybe even a mini slide.”
The idea made Lyly’s tail wiggle with excitement. She looked at the old pool one last time and gave it a soft goodbye pat. “Thanks for all the fun,” she said.
Later that week, a bright green pool arrived. It was twice the size of the old one, and even had a rainbow canopy. Lyly dove in with a happy squeal. She still missed her old pool, but now she understood—sometimes change makes space for something even better.
