It was a bright and breezy morning in the little village where Thuy lived. Birds chirped in the mango trees, roosters crowed, and a golden sun peeked through the clouds, promising a peaceful day. But peace was the last thing Thuy would experience today.
Thuy was up early, as always, sweeping the front yard and getting breakfast ready for her adorable pets. She had three—Lala, a sweet but emotional little monkey; Chip, a mischievous baby goat with energy that never ended; and Xuka, a gentle duck who loved dressing up in cute little outfits.
“Good morning, everyone!” Thuy called out cheerfully. Lala came running and wrapped her arms around Thuy’s leg, Chip bounced around trying to knock over a water bucket, and Xuka waddled proudly wearing a tiny pink dress Thuy had sewn the night before.
“Okay, okay,” Thuy said with a laugh. “Let’s eat first, then play.”
But Lala had something else in mind. She had been watching Thuy carefully for the past few days. Ever since Thuy started making new clothes for Xuka, Lala had been feeling a little… jealous. Why was Xuka getting so much attention? Why did Thuy always smile when she dressed Xuka up and not when Lala tried to wear something?
As they ate, Lala glanced sideways at Chip. The two had a secret bond—troublemaking. Whenever Chip did something naughty, Lala followed. And when Lala got an idea, Chip was always ready to join the fun.
After breakfast, Thuy hung a small clothesline near the back of the house, pinning up the new clothes she had just washed. There were two tiny dresses for Xuka, a cute sunhat, and a little apron for Lala. Thuy had planned to surprise her with it later.
But before she could turn around, Chip had already spotted the hanging clothes.
“NO!” Thuy shouted when she noticed him tiptoeing toward the clothesline. “Chip! Stay away!”
Chip froze, pretending to chew grass. But the moment Thuy went inside, he leapt up, grabbed the apron, and ran like the wind. Lala clapped her hands and shrieked with delight, then dashed after him.
“Chip! Lala! Come back here right now!” Thuy shouted from the kitchen window.
But it was too late. The two zoomed past the chicken coop and into the garden, the apron flapping like a superhero cape behind Chip. Xuka, curious, waddled after them, quacking with concern.
A few minutes later, Thuy stepped outside with a bowl of sliced mangoes. “Snack time!” she called.
No one came.
She frowned and walked around the house, only to find the garden in chaos. The clothesline had been pulled down, the mango tree was covered in clothespins, and her apron was nowhere to be seen.
And then—squeals. Laughter. Quacks.
Thuy followed the sound behind the banana trees and gasped.
Lala had dressed Chip in Xuka’s pink dress, which was now stretched and muddy. Chip pranced around like a runway model, shaking his tail. Xuka, on the other hand, stood with a sock on her head, looking absolutely confused. And Lala? She had somehow tied two of Thuy’s scarves together and was swinging from a low branch like Tarzan.
“LALA!” Thuy groaned, holding her head. “What… what are you all doing?!”
Lala jumped down and hugged Thuy. “Pretty!” she chirped, pointing at the outfit Chip wore. Chip bleated in agreement.
“You three are driving me crazy!” Thuy said, trying hard not to laugh. It really was a ridiculous sight.
Thuy sat down under the tree, trying to regain her calm. Xuka walked over and laid her head on Thuy’s lap, clearly asking for her dress back. Chip began trying to chew one of the scarves, and Lala started tugging at Thuy’s sleeves.
“Alright, alright,” Thuy said with a sigh. “Let’s fix this mess together.”
For the next hour, the backyard turned into a fashion emergency room. Thuy gently removed the stretched dress from Chip, cleaned the mud off it, and repaired the small rip. She brushed off the leaves stuck to the clothes and then gave everyone a quick bath. Lala splashed Chip, Chip knocked over the soap, and Xuka floated calmly in her tub like a queen.
Finally, once everyone was clean and dry, Thuy brought out the surprise—a tiny apron with a banana print for Lala.
“For you,” she said with a smile.
Lala’s eyes sparkled. She put it on proudly and paraded around while Chip clapped his hooves. Xuka looked pleased too, now back in her clean dress, and Thuy took a deep breath.
Maybe they were a handful. Maybe they made her dizzy. But they were her family.
Later that afternoon, the four of them sat together under the mango tree, sipping coconut water and watching the sun go down. Lala rested her head on Thuy’s shoulder. Chip lay on his back, trying to catch falling leaves with his mouth. Xuka waddled over and plopped herself on Thuy’s feet.
“You three gave me a headache today,” Thuy murmured with a smile. “But I love you all anyway.”
Lala looked up and kissed Thuy’s cheek.
“Mischief or not,” Thuy whispered, “life would be so boring without you.”
