Monkey Lyly had always been the curious, mischievous type—never one to follow the rules if she could leap over them instead. One sunny afternoon, while her mom was out tending to errands, Lyly’s eyes wandered across the fence to the neighbor’s house. The door was slightly open, and the scent of ripe bananas floated on the breeze. To Lyly, this was a clear invitation.
Without hesitation, she snuck through the gate and into the unfamiliar home. The house belonged to Mr. Roko, a retired chimp with a very tidy routine and little patience for chaos. But Lyly, in her excitement, paid no attention to whose home it was. She jumped on the couch, rifled through the pantry, and even tried on Mr. Roko’s reading glasses—snapping one of the arms in the process.
When Mr. Roko returned moments later, he stood frozen at the door, jaw dropped. His tidy living room looked like a hurricane had passed through. Lyly, caught mid-swing on the curtain rod, froze when she saw him.
“Young lady,” Mr. Roko growled, “you’ve got some explaining to do.”
Lyly’s ears drooped. Her fun adventure had turned into a disaster. Mr. Roko sat her down and didn’t yell—but instead, told her a story about respect, boundaries, and how every home carries someone’s peace.
Ashamed, Lyly listened intently. She hadn’t meant to be disrespectful, but her curiosity had clouded her judgment.
That evening, Lyly returned with her mom to apologize properly. She cleaned up the mess and even brought Mr. Roko a fresh bunch of bananas. He accepted the apology with a smile, though he warned, “Let that be your lifetime lesson, young monkey: just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Lyly nodded, lesson deeply learned. From that day on, her curiosity came with a side of thoughtfulness—and never again did she swing into a home that wasn’t hers.
