It was a bright and peaceful morning on Farmer Joe’s land, but something seemed off. Cutis, the mischievous little monkey, wasn’t jumping on the fence or climbing the mango tree like he usually did. Instead, he lay curled up in a corner of the barn, eyes half-closed, and a tiny moan escaping his lips every now and then.
“Cutis, are you okay?” asked Thuy, the kind girl who always helped take care of the animals. She knelt beside him, gently touching his furry forehead. “Oh no, you feel warm!”
Thuy quickly ran to get Farmer Joe. “Cutis is sick! He’s not moving, and he looks really weak!”
Farmer Joe came over, scratching his head. “Well, he was just fine yesterday,” he muttered, concerned. “Let’s keep him warm and give him some rest.”
Thuy tucked Cutis in with a soft blanket and brought him a banana. Cutis barely nibbled on it, letting out another dramatic moan. He looked so pitiful that even the chickens seemed worried.
But something strange happened an hour later. Thuy peeked through the barn window and saw Cutis sitting up and doing a little dance—completely fine! He tossed the blanket off, grabbed the rest of the banana, and did a happy little flip in the air. Then, when he heard footsteps, he quickly flopped back down and closed his eyes.
Thuy gasped. “He’s pretending!”
Cutis didn’t know he’d been caught. Thuy decided to observe him a little more. Every time someone came close, Cutis went back to acting sick. When no one was around, he’d peek, grin, and enjoy his day off.
Later that evening, Thuy and Farmer Joe returned with a bowl of special monkey soup. As they approached, Thuy said softly, “I wonder if Cutis is really sick, or just being a naughty little actor.”
That’s when Cutis made his mistake. He opened one eye just a tiny bit—and Thuy caught it.
“Aha!” she shouted. “You are pretending!”
Cutis leapt up in surprise, scratching his head with embarrassment. Then he did a backflip and gave a sheepish little smile.
Farmer Joe burst out laughing. “Well, I’ll be! This monkey is either the smartest actor on the farm—or the naughtiest!”
Thuy couldn’t help but giggle too. “Maybe both.”
They decided not to scold him. After all, it wasn’t every day that a monkey pretended to be sick just for some attention and snacks. But they did make one rule: no more drama unless it’s real.
From that day on, whenever Cutis acted a little too quiet, Thuy would raise an eyebrow and say, “Smart or naughty?” And Cutis would give a cheeky grin.
Even the chickens seemed to cluck in agreement—this monkey was trouble, but the lovable kind.
