In a quiet little village surrounded by tall trees and rice fields, there lived a playful monkey named Rojo. He was small, with bright eyes and a mischievous grin that made everyone smile. Rojo loved food more than anything else in the world—bananas, mangoes, peanuts, even little pieces of sweet bread he sometimes found near the market.
But there was one problem: Rojo didn’t like sharing.
His best friend, Miko, another young monkey, always stayed by his side. Miko was gentle and cheerful, the kind of friend who loved giving rather than keeping things for himself. Whenever Miko found fruit, he would always split it in half, handing the bigger piece to Rojo. But when it was Rojo’s turn, things were… different.
A basket full of bananas
One sunny morning, Rojo climbed up a banana tree near the farmer’s house. The tree was full of ripe, golden bananas. His little hands worked quickly, and soon he had filled a whole basket with fruit. He was so proud of himself.
Just then, Miko came running, waving his arms.
“Wow, Rojo! You found so many bananas! Can I have one?”
Rojo hugged the basket tightly.
“Oh no, Miko. These are mine. I worked hard for them. You can find your own.”
Miko’s smile faded a little, but he didn’t argue. He just sat nearby, watching Rojo peel one banana after another, munching happily. Every time Rojo’s mouth got sticky, he licked his fingers, his eyes sparkling with joy.
But deep down, Miko’s tummy rumbled. He hadn’t eaten anything since morning.
A lonely feast
At first, Rojo felt proud. He thought, If I keep all the bananas, I will be the happiest monkey in the world. But as he ate more and more, something strange happened.
The bananas started to taste… less sweet. The more he chewed, the heavier his belly felt. And while he had plenty of food, there was no laughter, no funny jokes, no playful nudges from Miko to make the meal joyful.
Rojo looked at his best friend, who was quietly plucking grass from the ground. Miko wasn’t angry, but his silence made Rojo uncomfortable.
Still, he didn’t offer any bananas.
Trouble in the forest
Later that day, the two friends walked toward the stream. Rojo carried his basket of bananas with him, determined not to share. But on the way, they met some other animals.
The squirrels chattered, “Look at that greedy monkey! He doesn’t even give one banana to his friend.”
The parrots squawked, “Sharing makes food taste better! Why doesn’t Rojo understand?”
Rojo pretended not to hear, but his ears grew hot. Deep down, he knew the others were right.
When they reached the stream, Rojo placed his basket on the ground. As he bent to take a drink of water, a big crow swooped down and snatched one banana. Then another. And another!
“Hey! That’s mine!” Rojo shouted, chasing the bird away. But by the time he came back, half of his bananas were gone.
Miko shook his head. “You see, Rojo? If you had shared, at least your friend would’ve enjoyed some. Now the crow enjoyed them instead.”
Rojo’s heart sank.
Miko’s kindness
The next morning, Miko climbed a guava tree and found a few pink fruits. He brought them down and placed one in front of Rojo.
“Here, you can have the bigger one,” Miko said with a warm smile.
Rojo blinked in surprise. “But… after I refused to share with you yesterday, you still give me fruit?”
Miko nodded. “Because friendship means more than food. Food is finished in a few bites, but friendship can last a lifetime. I don’t want us to be sad over bananas.”
Rojo felt a lump in his throat. He took the guava slowly, his eyes filled with guilt. It was juicy and sweet, but what warmed his heart more was Miko’s kindness.
The lesson of the falling basket
That afternoon, Rojo tried to make up for his mistake. He climbed back to the banana tree, hoping to pick more and finally share with Miko. But as he was coming down with a fresh basket, he slipped! The basket tumbled to the ground, and bananas rolled everywhere.
Miko rushed to help. He picked up the bananas and gathered them neatly, not keeping any for himself. “Are you okay, Rojo?” he asked.
Rojo sat on the ground, breathing hard. He realized something important: when he had tried to keep everything to himself, he lost it to the crow. But when Miko helped, none of the bananas were wasted.
Slowly, Rojo pushed the basket toward his friend. “Miko… I’m sorry. I was wrong. These bananas are not just mine. They’re ours. Let’s share them.”
Miko’s face lit up with joy. “Really? Thank you, Rojo!”
Sharing tastes sweeter
That day, the two friends sat under the shade of the banana tree. They peeled bananas together, took turns handing each other fruit, and laughed until their bellies hurt.
Rojo noticed something magical: every bite of banana felt sweeter when Miko was smiling beside him. The food didn’t just fill his stomach—it filled his heart.
The parrots above sang happily, “Finally, Rojo learned to share!” The squirrels clapped their tiny paws, and even the crow cawed from afar, as if cheering for him.
A promise for tomorrow
Before the sun set, Rojo made a promise. “From now on, I will always share my food with you, Miko. Because food disappears, but a true friend stays forever.”
Miko nodded. “And I will always share with you too. That way, we’ll never feel lonely, no matter how little or much we have.”
The two monkeys hugged, their tails wrapping around each other. For the first time, Rojo felt lighter, happier, and freer than ever before. He realized sharing didn’t mean losing—it meant gaining something much more precious: friendship, trust, and love.
That night, as they curled up in their treehouse, their tummies full and their hearts warm, Rojo whispered to himself, “Oh no… I almost lost my best friend because I didn’t want to share. But oh yes… I will never make that mistake again.”
And with Miko sleeping peacefully beside him, Rojo closed his eyes, dreaming of bananas, laughter, and the joy of giving.
