The afternoon sun shone warmly across the small yard where the baby monkeys usually played. Their father had just finished preparing bottles of warm milk for each of them, as he did every day. It was one of the most joyful times for the little ones, who would gather eagerly and wait for the bottles to arrive.
Today, however, things didn’t go as smoothly as usual. Two of the youngest monkeys, Kevin and Sumi, were sitting side by side on the mat. Both had been playing hard all morning, running around, climbing, and chasing each other. Their tiny bellies were rumbling, and they were more impatient than ever to drink their milk.
Dad handed Kevin a bottle first. Kevin squeaked happily and immediately began sipping, his little hands holding tightly onto the bottle as if he feared someone would take it away. Then Dad gave Sumi her bottle, filled with the same creamy milk. At first, everything seemed fine. The two sat side by side, drinking quietly.
But in the blink of an eye, Kevin’s playful curiosity got the better of him. He glanced over at Sumi’s bottle and noticed that hers looked just a little fuller than his own. His eyes widened, and a thought popped into his mind: “Maybe her milk tastes better than mine!”
Without warning, Kevin reached over and tugged at Sumi’s bottle.
Sumi squealed in protest, clutching her bottle tightly. “Eee-eee! Mine!” she cried, pulling it back toward her chest. Kevin refused to let go, and within seconds, the two baby monkeys were tugging and pulling with all their might.
“Oh no!” Dad exclaimed as he saw the struggle begin. He tried to step in, but the little monkeys were surprisingly fast. Their tiny hands wrapped around the bottles and around each other’s arms, tails whipping and legs kicking as they fought.
The yard filled with squeaks, squeals, and cries of protest. Kevin managed to snatch Sumi’s bottle for a moment, raising it triumphantly in the air as if he had won a great prize. But before he could take a sip, Sumi pounced on him, grabbing his own bottle in revenge.
Now the scene was completely reversed—Kevin was holding Sumi’s bottle, and Sumi was holding Kevin’s. Each of them thought the other’s milk must be better, and neither wanted to give up.
“Stop, stop!” Dad said, trying to calm them down. “You each have your own milk, no need to fight!”
But the little monkeys weren’t listening. Their small faces were scrunched up with determination, and their eyes glistened with stubbornness. For them, it wasn’t just about the milk anymore—it was about proving who could win.
The other monkeys in the yard began to gather around, watching the drama unfold. Bibi, the older sister, covered her mouth with her tiny hands and giggled. “They’re so silly!” she whispered to her friend Lala.
Lala, however, shook her head. “If they keep pulling like that, they’ll spill all the milk!” she said wisely.
And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.
In the heat of the tug-of-war, Kevin pulled too hard, and Sumi yanked back just as fiercely. With a loud pop! both bottles slipped from their hands, hitting the ground and splashing milk everywhere.
The warm, creamy milk spread quickly across the mat, soaking into the fabric. The two monkeys gasped in horror, staring at the puddle that had once been their delicious drink.
“Uh-oh…” Kevin whispered, his eyes wide.
“My milk!” Sumi wailed, tears welling up in her eyes.
Dad sighed deeply. He had seen this coming but hadn’t managed to stop it in time. Now both little monkeys sat frozen, their empty hands hovering over the mess they had made.
“See what happens when you fight?” Dad said gently but firmly. “Now nobody has milk.”
For a moment, silence fell over the yard. Kevin and Sumi looked at each other, their anger slowly melting away as they realized what had happened. Neither of them had won. In fact, they had both lost the thing they wanted most.
Sumi sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Kevin shuffled closer, his ears drooping. “Me too,” he admitted.
Their father knelt down beside them, lifting each one into his arms. “It’s okay to want something,” he said, “but fighting never solves the problem. Sharing and being patient will make everyone happy.”
The other monkeys nodded in agreement. Even little Bibi, who often teased her siblings, spoke up. “You two should learn to drink your own bottles. They taste the same anyway!”
That made Kevin and Sumi blink in surprise. Could it be true? Did both bottles taste exactly the same?
Dad decided to show them. He went back inside and returned with two fresh bottles of warm milk. This time, before handing them over, he let Kevin and Sumi take a small sip from each. To their astonishment, both bottles tasted identical—creamy, sweet, and comforting.
Their eyes widened, and then they burst out laughing. All that fuss, all the squealing, pulling, and spilling, had been for nothing.
Kevin handed Sumi her bottle back and clutched his own tightly. “Okay,” he said, grinning sheepishly. “I’ll drink mine.”
“Me too,” Sumi agreed, giggling.
They both sat down quietly, side by side once again, sipping happily without another argument.
The rest of the monkeys clapped and cheered. Bibi patted their heads proudly, while Lala brought over a towel to help clean the spilled milk.
Dad smiled, relieved that the chaos had finally ended. “See? It’s much better when you behave,” he said warmly.
The lesson of the day was simple but powerful: wanting what someone else has often makes us blind to the fact that we already have exactly what we need.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Kevin and Sumi finished their bottles and curled up together on the mat, full and content. Their earlier fight was already forgotten, replaced by the cozy comfort of warm milk and family love.
And though Dad knew there would be more squabbles in the future—because that was simply the way of mischievous baby monkeys—he also knew that each little conflict was a chance for them to grow, to learn, and to become kinder to one another.
That night, before falling asleep, Kevin whispered to Sumi, “Next time, let’s just drink together.”
Sumi nodded sleepily, clutching her blanket. “Yes… no more fighting.”
And with that promise, the two mischievous monkeys drifted into dreams, their bellies full and their hearts a little wiser.
