Monkey Poki woke up early in the morning with a loud grumble in his belly. He rubbed his stomach and yawned. “Today feels like a banana day,” he said to himself with a smile. But when he climbed down from his favorite tree and searched the ground, he was shocked. No bananas. No berries. No coconuts. Nothing at all.
“Oh no,” Poki mumbled, scratching his head. “Where did all the food go?”
He scampered through the forest, peeking under bushes, climbing tall trees, and checking all his secret snack spots. But everywhere he looked, it was the same—empty branches and bare bushes. Even the mango tree near the river had no fruit left.
Poki’s stomach growled louder. “I need help,” he decided. He went to see his friend Lila the parrot, who was perched on a high branch, preening her feathers.
“Lila, have you seen any food today?” Poki asked.
Lila shook her head. “Not a single fruit. I think the dry season has started early this year.”
“Oh no,” Poki sighed. “What am I going to do?”
“Why don’t you visit Grandpa Tiko?” Lila suggested. “He always has ideas.”
So off Poki went to see old Grandpa Tiko, the wise tortoise who lived near the mountain. Tiko listened carefully, then smiled. “When there’s no food around, it’s time to plant your own.”
“Plant?” Poki repeated.
“Yes,” Tiko said. “Come with me.”
Together, they dug small holes and planted banana seeds, mango pits, and berry bushes. “This will take time,” Tiko said, “but one day, you’ll never go hungry again.”
Poki’s stomach still grumbled, but his heart felt full. He spent the rest of the day helping other animals plant food too. And as the sun set, Lila returned with one juicy mango she had saved.
Poki smiled, took a bite, and said, “Tomorrow will be better.”
