Under the warm shade of a big mango tree, the little monkey Xuxu sat swinging her tail and staring curiously at the pile of food in front of her. Her mother had gone to fetch some water from the stream, but before leaving, she had said firmly, “Xuxu, be a good girl. Watch the food for me. Don’t touch it until I come back.”
Xuxu nodded obediently, her big brown eyes wide and serious. “Yes, Mama,” she said, trying her best to look trustworthy. But as soon as her mother disappeared behind the banana grove, Xuxu’s curiosity began to take over.
The food was just too tempting. There were ripe bananas, fresh lychees, sweet mangos, and a big coconut that her mother had cracked open just enough to reveal the white flesh inside. The aroma was so delicious that Xuxu’s tummy gave a tiny growl. She tried to ignore it.
For the first few minutes, she sat still like a good little monkey, humming softly and watching butterflies flutter by. But then her eyes drifted back to the food pile. The bananas glowed like little pieces of gold in the sunlight, and the coconut looked creamy and cool. Xuxu licked her lips.
She looked around. The forest was quiet. No one was watching. “Hmm,” she thought, “Mama said watch the food, but she didn’t say I couldn’t touch it.”
A mischievous grin spread across her face. Slowly, she crept closer to the pile of fruit, each step light as a feather. She extended one tiny hand and poked a banana gently. It was soft, ripe, and smelled heavenly. Xuxu sighed. “Just one sniff,” she whispered to herself.
So she picked up the banana and brought it close to her nose. The sweet scent filled her head, and her mouth watered instantly. “Maybe one tiny lick won’t hurt…” she reasoned.
The next thing she knew, the banana had vanished—straight into her mouth! Xuxu blinked in surprise, then giggled. “Oh no,” she said between chews, “it just jumped into my mouth by itself!”
Encouraged by her little success, she looked at the rest of the food. “Well, Mama probably won’t even notice one banana missing,” she thought. “But… what if I just check the coconut too? Maybe it’s gone bad, and I need to make sure it’s still good for Mama.”
She took a careful step toward the coconut, but it was a bit too big for her to lift. She tried pushing it, rolling it, even tapping it with a stick. Finally, she managed to stick her tiny fingers into the crack and scoop out a bit of the white flesh. She tasted it — it was cool, sweet, and perfect.
“Mmmm,” she hummed happily, “Mama will be so happy when she eats this! Maybe I should eat a little more, just to be sure it’s good enough for her.”
And so she ate. A little bite here, a tiny nibble there, until half of the coconut was gone. Xuxu wiped her mouth with her tail and giggled again. “I’m such a good helper!” she said proudly.
Just then, she heard a rustle in the bushes. Her heart jumped. “Mama?” she whispered nervously.
But it wasn’t her mother. It was her friend Momo, a chubby young monkey with a playful grin.
“Hey, Xuxu!” Momo said, hopping toward her. “What are you doing?”
“Shh!” Xuxu hissed. “Mama told me to watch the food!”
Momo looked at the half-eaten coconut and raised an eyebrow. “Looks like you’re eating the food, not watching it.”
Xuxu pouted. “I was just… checking it for safety!” she said quickly.
Momo laughed so hard he rolled on the ground. “You’re checking it with your mouth? That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Quiet!” Xuxu said, but she couldn’t help giggling too. “Mama will come back soon, and if she sees the food missing, I’ll be in trouble.”
Momo scratched his head. “Then you’d better fix it! Maybe we can… replace it?”
Xuxu’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Let’s find some fruits before Mama gets back!”
So off they went, running and climbing through the trees. They found a few wild berries, a green mango, and a handful of figs. But none of them looked as perfect as the ones her mother had brought.
When they returned, Xuxu looked at the new fruits and frowned. “They’re not the same,” she said. “Mama will know.”
Momo shrugged. “Well, maybe you can tell her a bird stole it?”
“No!” Xuxu said, shaking her head. “Mama always knows when I lie.”
She sat down sadly beside the half-eaten food. “Maybe I should just tell her the truth.”
Momo patted her shoulder. “That’s brave, Xuxu. But maybe she won’t be too mad if you look cute when you say it.”
Xuxu chuckled. “I always look cute!”
A few minutes later, Mama Monkey returned, carrying a big leaf filled with water. She smiled when she saw Xuxu and Momo sitting together. “Good, you were keeping an eye on the food,” she said.
But then her eyes narrowed. “Hmm… Why are there banana peels on the ground? And what happened to my coconut?”
Xuxu’s ears drooped. Her tail curled nervously. “Mama,” she said softly, “I… I tried to watch the food, but it looked so yummy. So I just tasted a little. Then a little more. I’m sorry.”
Mama crossed her arms and looked at her daughter for a long moment. Xuxu stared at the ground, ready for a scolding.
But instead, Mama sighed. “Xuxu,” she said gently, “I’m not angry because you ate. I’m sad because you didn’t keep your promise.”
Xuxu looked up, surprised. “I didn’t mean to break it,” she said. “It was just so hard!”
Mama smiled softly and stroked her daughter’s head. “I know it’s hard, little one. Temptation is strong, especially when your tummy is hungry. But being trusted means doing the right thing even when no one is watching.”
Xuxu thought about that. “So… if I’m good next time, will you trust me again?”
“Of course,” Mama said, kissing her forehead. “But first, let’s clean this up and share what’s left. Next time, we’ll both eat together.”
Momo cheered. “Yay! That means I can eat too, right?”
Mama laughed. “Only if you help gather more fruit!”
So the three of them set off once more, climbing trees and laughing together. Xuxu worked extra hard, wanting to make up for her mistake. She found ripe bananas, plump guavas, and even a few juicy jackfruits.
When they returned, the pile of food looked even bigger than before. Mama smiled proudly. “Now this is what I call teamwork,” she said.
As they sat together sharing the fruit, Xuxu felt happy and warm inside. She learned that honesty, effort, and a bit of patience always make things better in the end.
After the meal, she snuggled close to her mother and whispered, “Next time, Mama, I’ll really just watch the food.”
Mama chuckled and hugged her tight. “I believe you, my little Xuxu. But just in case…” She winked playfully. “…maybe I’ll leave Momo to watch you too.”
Xuxu and Momo burst into laughter, and their cheerful giggles echoed through the forest. From that day on, Xuxu tried her best to be more patient — though whenever she saw a shiny yellow banana, her mischievous smile always gave her away. 😃🍌💛
