In the peaceful countryside where lush green fields meet dense forests, CUTIS, the kind-hearted farmer, shared his home with an unlikely companion — a baby monkey named Lu. Their bond was unique, full of laughter, mischief, and tender care. CUTIS had raised Lu since he was abandoned as an infant in the woods, and from that day on, the two were inseparable. However, one morning, something strange happened that changed everything, and no one could’ve predicted the unbelievable ending.
It all began when CUTIS’s elderly father, whom everyone in the village called “Papa Chan,” started behaving strangely. Normally sharp, strong-willed, and full of wise advice, Papa Chan began to forget small things: the names of tools in the shed, the date of the rice planting, even how to tie his shoelaces. CUTIS brushed it off at first, thinking it was just old age catching up. But then Papa Chan started doing things that made everyone worried.
One morning, CUTIS found his father standing barefoot in the muddy field, staring at the sunrise, muttering, “The crows know… they know where it ends…” Lu the baby monkey tilted his head in confusion and jumped on Papa Chan’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. Papa Chan flinched, then smiled sadly. “You’ll understand, little one… the signs are coming.”
That evening, CUTIS noticed something even more alarming. Papa Chan had rearranged the furniture in the house into a strange formation — a circle with an open gap facing east. In the center, he placed Lu’s favorite toy — a squeaky banana — and one of CUTIS’s old shirts from childhood. “The signs must be honored,” Papa Chan said in a low, whispery tone, his eyes vacant.
CUTIS, growing worried, spoke to the village healer, who told him it might be signs of dementia. But Lu — far smarter and more intuitive than anyone gave him credit for — began behaving differently too. He followed Papa Chan closely, watching his every move. It was as though Lu knew something was wrong — terribly wrong.
Then, one night, Papa Chan vanished.
CUTIS woke up to Lu screeching in panic, running around the kitchen, knocking over pans. CUTIS ran outside and saw faint footprints leading into the forest — barefoot, deep, and uneven. Papa Chan had wandered off alone. CUTIS and Lu immediately chased the trail, CUTIS holding a flashlight, Lu perched on his shoulder, trembling.
They searched all night, calling out through the woods. “Dad! Where are you?!”
Just as the sky began to lighten with the early glow of dawn, they heard a soft singing — Papa Chan’s voice, echoing near the river. They rushed toward the sound and found him standing on a large rock, arms outstretched, facing the rising sun.
But what happened next left CUTIS speechless.
Lu leapt from CUTIS’s arms and climbed up a tree branch hanging above Papa Chan. He began to mimic Papa Chan’s posture, arms out, chattering as if speaking in tongues. Papa Chan looked up at him and smiled. “He understands,” he whispered. “He’s the one.”
Before CUTIS could react, Papa Chan pointed at the river and said, “He must lead you there. The answers are in the water.”
CUTIS, still confused but deeply disturbed, looked into the river. Reflected in the water were not just the three of them — but a strange, shimmering glow beneath the surface.
Suddenly, Lu dove into the river without hesitation.
“LU!!” CUTIS shouted in horror, diving in after him.
What happened underwater was something CUTIS would never forget. As he swam toward Lu, he noticed a glimmering object at the riverbed — an ancient wooden box wrapped in cloth. Lu had his little hands on it, trying to pull it up. CUTIS helped him, and together, they dragged it ashore.
When they opened the box, they found something shocking: old letters, photographs, and a dusty journal. It turned out that Papa Chan had been hiding a secret for decades. The journal revealed that he once encountered a mystical hermit deep in the forest who had given him a prophecy — one about his son and a creature “not of man but of heart,” who together would uncover something powerful in times of great confusion.
CUTIS didn’t believe in legends. But the look on Lu’s face — intelligent, knowing, and calm — made him reconsider. Lu opened the journal again and pointed to a page. CUTIS gasped.
It was a drawing — one made years ago, but unmistakably of CUTIS and a baby monkey standing by the river, holding the very same box.
“How is this possible?” CUTIS muttered.
Papa Chan, now sitting calmly on the rock, said, “I couldn’t tell you earlier. I thought the signs were madness. But they were real. Lu is not just any monkey. He was sent.”
The rest of the journal explained that a guardian spirit of the forest, in the form of a monkey, would one day come to protect the family’s legacy and awaken the hidden truth buried in their bloodline — that their family was entrusted with protecting the sacred river, the water source that kept the entire village alive.
Lu screeched, clapping his hands and pointing to the trees. A flock of rare birds flew above them — ones never seen in that area before. Nature itself seemed to affirm the truth.
But the most unbelievable part came last.
As they carried the box home, CUTIS opened the final folded page of the journal. On it was a warning: When the river glows, the guardian must return the light to the forest or the water will vanish forever.
Lu, reading it over CUTIS’s shoulder, suddenly ran into the woods, box in hand.
CUTIS chased after him, shouting, “Lu! Come back!” But Lu was determined.
He reached an old tree with strange carvings on it — the exact place drawn in the journal — and placed the box inside a hollow, screeching one last time.
The carvings glowed faintly, and then faded.
Then — silence.
Lu slowly walked back to CUTIS, exhausted but calm. Papa Chan, who had followed them silently, looked at Lu with pride. “He has fulfilled the circle,” he said.
From that day on, the water in the river flowed clearer than ever. Crops grew stronger. The villagers noticed the difference but never knew why. Only CUTIS, Lu, and Papa Chan held the secret.
And Lu? He returned to his playful self but was always treated with the respect of a wise elder. Children bowed when he passed. Villagers whispered stories about him — stories of magic, of protection, and of the incredible day he and CUTIS saved the land.
The ending was truly unbelievable. What started as strange signs from an aging father led to a mystical revelation, a brave baby monkey’s mission, and a son discovering his family’s true purpose. And in the heart of the forest, a secret guardian still watched, waiting for the next sign.
Just in case.
