It was an ordinary afternoon in the village. CUTIS was usually found playing in the yard with his mischievous baby monkey, climbing trees, or inventing funny games. But that day, something extraordinary happened—something so unexpected that it left both his dad and the monkey scratching their heads in confusion and worry.
The shocking discovery
CUTIS came running into the house, his small hands stuffed with crumpled bills. He dumped them on the floor with a triumphant grin. “Dad! Look! I’m rich!”
The baby monkey screeched in excitement and immediately dove onto the pile of money, scattering it everywhere like leaves in the wind. He grabbed a handful, sniffed it, and even tried to chew on one before CUTIS quickly pulled it away.
Dad, who was fixing a chair, looked up in shock. His jaw nearly dropped. “What on earth, CUTIS? Where did you get all this money?”
CUTIS puffed out his chest proudly. “I just… found it.”
“Found it?” Dad repeated, his brows furrowing. “Nobody just finds this much money lying around. Tell me the truth!”
The monkey, equally puzzled, stared at CUTIS with wide eyes, as if demanding the same explanation.
The suspicious behavior
Instead of giving a clear answer, CUTIS started acting suspiciously. He tried to gather the bills into a little bag and whispered to the monkey, “Don’t tell Dad. This is our secret treasure.”
The monkey squeaked loudly, half agreeing, half confused. He was torn between loyalty to CUTIS and fear of Dad’s stern voice.
Dad grew worried. “CUTIS, this is serious. If you don’t tell me the truth, people might think you stole it.”
The boy’s face turned red. “I didn’t steal it! Really, I didn’t!”
But the mystery only deepened. The baby monkey clutched a few bills and hugged them to his chest protectively, making the scene even more comical. Dad sighed in frustration—now both his son and the monkey were acting like little misers guarding gold.
Flashback to the adventure
Finally, after a long silence, CUTIS spilled the story. Earlier that day, while exploring near the marketplace with the monkey, he had seen a plastic bag stuck under a bush. Curious, he pulled it out—and to his surprise, it was filled with money.
“I didn’t know what to do,” CUTIS explained, his eyes wide. “So I brought it home. Isn’t it lucky?”
Dad shook his head firmly. “Lucky? No, son. This is dangerous. That money belongs to someone. They might be very worried right now.”
The monkey squeaked as if agreeing with Dad this time. His earlier excitement faded, replaced with nervous glances at the pile of bills.
The lesson begins
Dad sat CUTIS down and spoke gently but firmly. “When you find something valuable, it doesn’t mean it’s yours. Imagine if you lost your toy and never got it back—how would you feel?”
CUTIS lowered his head. “Sad.”
“Exactly,” Dad said. “That’s why we must return this money.”
The monkey tilted his head thoughtfully, then dropped the bills he was still holding. It seemed even he understood.
But CUTIS, stubborn as ever, crossed his arms. “What if no one claims it? Can we keep it then?”
Dad sighed. “First, we try to find the owner. That’s the right thing to do.”
The funny yet tense moment
To lighten the mood, Dad suggested they carefully count the money before reporting it. CUTIS eagerly agreed, thinking it would at least be fun. The monkey joined in too, grabbing bills and stacking them clumsily into tiny uneven piles.
The sight was hilarious—Dad trying to count seriously, CUTIS losing track every few numbers, and the monkey proudly guarding his own crooked stack like a banker. At one point, the monkey even stuffed a bill into his ear, mistaking it for a safe hiding place. CUTIS burst out laughing, but Dad quickly retrieved it.
Despite the laughter, worry still lingered. Who had lost so much money? And would they come looking for it?
Returning the treasure
That evening, Dad took CUTIS and the monkey back to the marketplace. They went to the village chief’s office and explained the situation. The chief praised CUTIS for being honest and promised to announce the discovery.
At first, CUTIS pouted. “But what if nobody comes? I wanted to buy toys for me and bananas for the monkey.”
The chief chuckled. “If no one claims it after some time, then maybe it can be used for something good in the village.”
The monkey squeaked sadly at the thought of losing his “treasure,” but CUTIS finally nodded, realizing it was the right thing to do.
The ending—relief and pride
A few days later, the owner was found. It turned out to be a farmer who had dropped the bag while unloading his cart. He came to CUTIS’s house with tears in his eyes, thanking the boy and his monkey for their honesty.
As a reward, the farmer gave them a small gift: a basket full of fresh fruit. The monkey squealed in delight, stuffing bananas into his mouth as fast as he could. CUTIS laughed and said, “Okay, maybe this is better than money.”
Dad ruffled his son’s hair proudly. “I’m glad you listened, CUTIS. You proved that doing the right thing is more valuable than any pile of cash.”
The monkey, cheeks puffed with bananas, clapped as if agreeing wholeheartedly.
A lasting lesson
From that day on, the villagers often told the story of CUTIS and his monkey who found money but chose honesty. People admired not just the boy’s courage to tell the truth, but also the way his silly monkey added laughter to the whole situation.
For CUTIS, the experience was unforgettable. He learned that wealth wasn’t measured in the money you held but in the trust you earned. And for the baby monkey—well, he learned that bananas were far more satisfying than crumpled bills.
And so, what began as a shocking and worrying mystery ended with smiles, relief, and a lesson the whole family cherished.
