It was a quiet, sunny morning on the farm where Farmer Cutis lived with his wonderful family of animals. Birds were chirping in the trees, chickens were clucking contentedly, and the gentle breeze made the tall grass dance. But in the middle of this peaceful paradise, one little monkey was about to do something incredibly brave.
Baby Miko, a mischievous and curious young monkey, had been living with Cutis ever since he was rescued from a stormy forest. From the very beginning, Cutis treated Miko like his own child, giving him food, love, and a cozy little bed in the barn. Miko loved Cutis too, and although he was full of energy and sometimes a bit naughty, he never meant to cause trouble.
But trouble found him anyway.
It all started when Cutis went to town for a few hours to buy supplies. He left his farm under the watchful eyes of Miko and the other animals. Cutis trusted them, especially Miko, who had been trying to be more responsible lately.
However, the moment Cutis’s truck disappeared down the dusty road, Miko spotted something shiny on the porch—a big, juicy watermelon that Cutis had been saving for dinner. Cutis had told everyone not to touch it. “This one’s for a special treat,” he’d said with a wink.
But Miko, being young and impulsive, couldn’t resist. He crept up to the porch, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and gave the watermelon a tiny poke. Then a nibble. And then—BOOM! The whole thing cracked open, red juice splashing everywhere.
“Uh-oh…” Miko whispered.
He tried to clean it up using leaves and his little hands, but that only made it worse. Just then, Mama Lala—the big, serious monkey who often acted like the mother of the group—came out of the barn and saw the mess.
Her eyes widened, her nostrils flared, and she shouted, “WHO DID THIS?!”
The animals froze. Lala was known for being strict when it came to respecting Cutis’s rules. She loved Cutis deeply and couldn’t stand to see anyone disobey him or cause damage. She glared at the group. “WHOEVER DID THIS BETTER SPEAK UP BEFORE CUTIS GETS BACK!”
The animals all looked at each other nervously. No one wanted to get into trouble. But then, from behind the water trough, a tiny voice squeaked, “I saw Cutis sniffing the watermelon yesterday! Maybe he opened it by accident?”
The voice belonged to a young goat who had misheard what happened. Suddenly, suspicion turned toward Cutis himself.
Lala’s face grew stormy. “Cutis? Our Cutis? Open his OWN watermelon and leave a mess? NO WAY! SOMEBODY’S LYING!”
The animals began to argue. Some tried to defend Cutis, while others whispered theories. But amid the growing chaos, Miko sat in silence, watching the angry faces and hearing the hurtful words being spoken about Cutis.
He felt terrible.
He looked at the red-stained porch, the crushed watermelon, and then at Mama Lala, who was stomping around angrily. His heart pounded in his little chest. It would be easy to stay quiet. Let someone else take the blame. Maybe Cutis wouldn’t be too mad when he found the mess. Maybe…
But then he remembered something: how Cutis had once stayed up all night feeding Miko when he had a fever. How he had built a swing from an old tire just so Miko could have fun. How Cutis always smiled when he saw Miko, no matter what.
No. He couldn’t let anyone blame Cutis.
With trembling hands and wobbly legs, Miko stood up and shouted, “WAIT!”
The animals fell silent. Mama Lala turned to him, eyes narrowing.
Miko gulped but didn’t back down. “It was me. I broke the watermelon. I tried to clean it up, but I made it worse. Cutis didn’t do anything. Please don’t be mad at him.”
There was a long silence.
Lala’s eyes locked on Miko. She walked up to him slowly. The little monkey braced himself, expecting a scolding.
But instead, Lala sighed. “You did this?”
“Yes,” Miko whispered. “I’m really sorry. I just… it looked so juicy. I didn’t think.”
To everyone’s surprise, Lala didn’t scream. She just crouched down and said, “That was very brave of you, Miko. Owning up to your mistake? That’s not easy.”
The animals nodded, murmuring in agreement. The tension melted away.
Just then, they heard the rumble of Cutis’s truck approaching. Miko’s heart began to race again. Would Cutis be angry? Disappointed?
The truck pulled into the driveway, and Cutis stepped out carrying bags of fruit and a box of tools. He smiled and waved.
But the moment he saw the mess on the porch, his brow furrowed. “What happened here?”
Before anyone else could speak, Miko ran up to him.
“I’m so sorry, Cutis! I ate the watermelon you were saving. I didn’t mean to be bad—I just couldn’t resist. Then I tried to clean it, but it got worse. Everyone almost thought it was you, and I couldn’t let that happen. Please forgive me!”
Cutis looked at the little monkey with wide eyes. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he burst out laughing.
“Miko, you silly monkey!” he said, scooping him up in a hug. “Thank you for being honest. That means more to me than any watermelon.”
Miko blinked. “You’re… not mad?”
“Nope,” Cutis grinned. “But next time, just ask me, alright? There’s plenty of watermelon for everyone.”
That evening, the farm was filled with laughter as Cutis cut open another big watermelon and shared it with all the animals. Miko sat next to Mama Lala, who gave him a proud little nod. He smiled back, feeling a warm glow in his heart.
Because sometimes, being brave doesn’t mean fighting. It means telling the truth, even when it’s scary. And Miko had done just that.
Unbelievable? Maybe. But true.
