In a quiet little village tucked between green hills and tall bamboo trees, a tiny baby monkey named Moko lived with his family. Moko was the smallest in his troop. His fur was soft and fluffy, and his big round eyes sparkled with curiosity. Every day felt like an adventure to himâhe loved exploring the yard, climbing low branches, and discovering anything new that caught his attention.

One warm afternoon, the sun was shining just right, not too bright and not too hot. Moko sat on the wooden porch of the house where he lived with his human caregivers. He was busy playing with a little leaf he had found. It wasnât just a leaf to himâit was a boat, a toy, and a magic treasure, all depending on the game he imagined.
He gently poked it, rolled it, and flipped it over. Moko could play with something simple for hours. Thatâs when he heard footsteps approaching.
It was Chibi, the neighborâs dog. Chibi was small but confident, with short legs and a big personality. He loved to run around the yard, bark at butterflies, and check on everyone like he was the village guard.
Moko liked Chibi⊠sort of. Chibi was friendly, but he was also loud. Very loud.

As Chibi trotted closer, he noticed Moko sitting on the porch. His tail wagged, and that was the moment Moko should have been preparedâbut he wasnât.
âWOOF! WOOF! WOOF!â
The sudden burst of barking exploded into the air.
Mokoâs eyes grew wide.
His hands froze.
The leaf fell out of his grasp.
And thenâhe jumped so high he almost flipped backward.
His little body puffed up like a startled squirrel, and he clung tightly to the porch railing with all four limbs. His face looked like someone had told him the most shocking news in the world.
Chibi paused mid-bark.
The dog tilted his head.

And then, as if he realized he had scared his tiny friend, he slowly lowered his voice to a gentle âruff?â
Moko blinked twice, still holding onto the railing for dear life. His heart thumped like a drum. He peeked over the edge, seeing Chibi wagging his tail and looking absolutely thrilled with himself.
The funny part? Moko wasnât sure if he should be scared, annoyed, or embarrassed. So instead, he made the funniest noiseâsomething between a squeak and a tiny puff of air.
His human caregiver, Lin, came outside at that moment and saw the hilarious scene:
Moko wide-eyed and clinging for safetyâŠ
Chibi standing proudly like he had just announced a royal arrival.
Lin laughed softly. âOh, Moko, you silly boy. Chibi is just saying hello.â
Moko narrowed his eyes at the dog. Was that how you say hello? By exploding like a thundercloud?
Chibi stepped closer, and Moko quickly climbed onto Linâs arm. His tail curled tightly as if wrapping himself in a blanket of courage.
But Chibi didnât bark this time. Instead, he gently sniffed Mokoâs foot.
Moko lifted the foot quickly. Too close!
Chibi tried again.
Moko moved it again.
Soon, it looked like they were playing a tiny game of foot tag.
Lin smiled. âSee? He likes you.â
Whether that was true or not, Moko wasnât yet convinced. But little by little, his grip loosened. He peeked again at the dog, noticing how gently Chibiâs tail swayed. That was good. Tail wagging meant friendly, right?
Chibi let out a soft whineânot a bark, not scary. A simple, gentle sound.
Moko tilted his head.
Chibi tilted his head back.
Lin found the moment adorable. âYou two look like youâre speaking your own secret language.â
Encouraged, Moko slowly reached out one tiny hand. Chibi lowered himself to the ground, patient and still. Their fingers and paws almost touchedâŠ
Then a butterfly flew past.
And Chibi forgot everything.
He sprang up with an excited burstâ
âWOOF! WOOF! WOOF!â
Moko nearly fainted.
Again he jumped, clinging to Lin like a little koala. His expression was even funnier this timeâmouth open, eyes wide, ears sticking out.
Lin couldnât help laughing. âChibi! Not so loud!â
Chibi froze, glancing back at Moko as if to say, âOops.â
He lowered his head, tail swaying slowly in apology.
Lin patted Mokoâs back to calm him. âHe didnât mean to scare you. He just gets very happy.â
Moko peeked from behind Linâs shoulder. Chibi gave the softest, most careful âwoofâ anyone had ever heard. It was so gentle it sounded almost like a whisper.
Moko blinked.
That wasnât scary at all.
And for the first time since the excitement began, Mokoâs lips curled into a tiny smile. He slowly climbed back onto the porch and sat down again, this time watching Chibi with curious eyes instead of fear.
Chibi lay down on his belly, lowering his head to show he was harmless. Then he pushed his favorite toyâa little rubber ballâtoward Moko with his nose.
The gesture caught Moko by surprise. He looked up at Lin as if asking permission.
Lin nodded. âGo on. Itâs okay.â
Moko tapped the ball hesitantly. It rolled a little. Chibiâs ears perked up. So Moko tapped it again. This time it rolled straight to Chibi, who gently nudged it back.
Soon the two were playing a slow, gentle game of rolling the ball back and forth. No barking. No sudden jumps. No surprises.
Both of them seemed proud of the truce.
From that day forward, Moko and Chibi became good friends. It took a bit of timeâMoko still jumped whenever Chibi barked too loudlyâbut he wasnât afraid anymore. He just made that funny startled face that made everyone laugh, even himself.
And Chibi? He learned something important too:
If you want to play with a baby monkeyâŠ
Maybe donât bark directly in his face.
One sunny afternoon, as the two played together, Lin watched them with a smile.
âSee?â she said softly. âEven the funniest, scariest moment can turn into a friendship.â
Moko climbed onto Chibiâs back, holding on carefully. Chibi walked around proudly, like he was giving his tiny friend a royal tour.
Every now and then, when Chibi forgot and barked, Moko would jumpâjust a little. But then heâd laugh in his adorable monkey way and pat Chibiâs head, as if saying, Itâs okay. Just warn me next time!
And from then onâŠ
Whenever Moko heard a bark, instead of fear, he remembered the silly moment that started one of his happiest friendships.
