It was a quiet, sunny afternoon when Mama Monkey finally got a moment of rest. Exhausted from a long morning of foraging, cleaning, and keeping up with her curious little one, she dozed off under the shade of a tall banana tree. The jungle around them hummed with life, but for Mama, it was finally a moment of peace. Unfortunately, peace didn’t last long when Monkey Lyly was involved.
As soon as Mama’s eyes closed, Lyly’s curiosity switched into high gear. She tiptoed away—well, as quietly as a mischievous little monkey could—and spotted a bowl of fruits Mama had gathered earlier. Temptation took over. She took one mango, then another, then climbed up and accidentally knocked the entire bowl over. Fruit rolled everywhere. But that wasn’t the worst part.
With a sticky mouth and a guilty face, Lyly wandered further and discovered Mama’s pouch of medicinal herbs. These were important. Sacred. Collected carefully for emergencies. Thinking they were playthings, Lyly tore them apart, flinging leaves and roots like confetti in the wind.
Then came the loud crack! of a falling branch. Mama woke instantly, eyes wide, senses alert. She turned and gasped at the chaos around her—fruit smashed, leaves scattered, and Lyly sitting smack in the middle of the mess with her fingers still sticky.
“Lyly… stop it now!” Mama shouted, hurrying over. Lyly froze. The shame washed over her as she saw the disappointment in her mother’s eyes. She hadn’t meant to cause so much trouble.
Tears welled up in her big eyes. She reached out, holding a half-mushed mango as a peace offering. Mama sighed, her anger fading as quickly as it came. She knelt down, gently pulling Lyly into her arms.
“You have to learn, my sweet,” Mama whispered, brushing dirt from Lyly’s fur. “Some things are not for play.”
And from that day on, Lyly tried a little harder… especially when Mama was sleeping.
