The warm morning sun peeked through the forest canopy, lighting up the little clearing where the young monkeys played. Among them was baby monkey Susu, a tiny bundle of energy with bright eyes and a mischievous grin. He was known all over the troop as the cheeky one—always up to some kind of playful trouble.
That morning, Susu woke earlier than usual. The air smelled fresh after a night of light rain, and drops of water still clung to the big banana leaves above. He stretched, rubbed his eyes, and looked around for his best friend, Mimi—a shy little monkey who loved to play quietly and eat fruit in peace.
Susu spotted her sitting under a fig tree, nibbling on a ripe piece of papaya. “Hehe,” Susu thought, “I’ll surprise her today!” He crept behind the tree, careful not to make a sound. Mimi was so focused on her food that she didn’t notice him at all. Then—jump!
“Boo!” Susu shouted, landing right beside her.
Mimi squealed and dropped her papaya. “Susu! You scared me!” she cried, clutching her chest.
Susu laughed so hard he rolled on the ground. “You should’ve seen your face!” he giggled, pointing at her. “You looked like you saw a ghost!”
Mimi frowned and picked up her papaya. “That’s not funny,” she said softly. “You always do that.”
But Susu was still chuckling, not realizing he’d really startled his gentle friend.
A few minutes later, all the young monkeys gathered to play. They climbed vines, swung from branches, and chased one another through the trees. The forest echoed with cheerful squeals and laughter. Susu was the fastest climber of them all, darting from tree to tree like a little spark of lightning.
When the game turned into hide and seek, Susu had another idea. Mimi was the seeker this time. While she covered her eyes and counted, Susu quietly climbed above her and dropped a small leaf on her head.
“Who did that?” Mimi asked, looking up.
Susu held in his laughter and stayed quiet. Then he plucked another leaf and dropped it. Mimi turned in circles, confused. The other monkeys giggled from their hiding spots.
When Mimi finally found Susu, he couldn’t hold it in anymore—he burst out laughing, slapping his knee and falling from the branch into a pile of soft leaves below.
“You’re so mean!” Mimi shouted. Her cheeks puffed up with anger, but Susu only laughed harder.
“Come on, it’s just a game,” he said. “You have to learn to laugh too!”
But Mimi didn’t find it funny at all. She walked away quietly, leaving Susu alone.
Later that day, the troop moved toward a stream to drink and cool off. The baby monkeys splashed water and played with floating leaves. Susu noticed Mimi sitting alone by a rock, still upset. He felt a little bad but didn’t know how to say sorry. So instead, he decided to cheer her up the only way he knew how—by teasing her again.
He picked up a small twig and dipped it into the water, flicking droplets toward Mimi.
“Stop it, Susu!” she said, covering her face.
But Susu only laughed and flicked again. “I’m just helping you cool down!” he joked.
Mimi turned her back. She didn’t want to cry, but her eyes grew watery. She missed when Susu used to be kind—when they shared fruit together or played without him making fun of her.
Just then, Mama Lala, an older female monkey and the troop’s caretaker, noticed what was happening. She called out, “Susu! Come here right now!”
Susu froze. His little heart raced. Mama Lala rarely raised her voice.
He walked over, head down.
“Why are you teasing Mimi again?” she asked gently but firmly.
“I was just playing,” Susu mumbled. “I didn’t mean to make her sad.”
Mama Lala knelt down and looked him in the eyes. “Play is fun when everyone is happy,” she said. “But when someone feels hurt, it’s no longer a game. Friends are not toys, Susu.”
Susu’s ears drooped. He looked over at Mimi, who was still sitting by the rock, quietly wiping her eyes. For the first time that day, he felt something heavy inside—guilt.
That afternoon, while everyone rested, Susu sat alone on a branch, thinking about what Mama Lala said. He remembered all the times Mimi had shared her food with him or helped him climb down when he got stuck. She was always patient with him. And he… had made her cry.
Susu sighed. “I didn’t want to hurt her,” he whispered.
He picked a small yellow flower growing near the tree trunk—Mimi’s favorite kind. Then, slowly, he climbed down and approached her.
Mimi looked up when she saw him coming but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry, Mimi,” Susu said softly, holding out the flower. “I didn’t mean to make you sad. I just wanted to make you laugh.”
Mimi hesitated, but then she smiled faintly. “You don’t have to tease me to make me laugh, Susu,” she said. “We can have fun without being mean.”
Susu nodded. “I know. I’ll try to be better.”
Mimi took the flower and tucked it behind her ear. “Okay,” she said, “let’s go find the others.”
From that day on, Susu tried to change. He still loved to play and make jokes, but he learned to notice when others were happy and when they weren’t. When he saw Mimi, he’d smile instead of teasing.
One day, as they climbed together in the big fig tree, Mimi slipped a little. Susu quickly reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Careful!” he said. “Don’t fall.”
Mimi looked surprised. “Thank you, Susu.”
He grinned. “See? I can be nice too!”
They both laughed, swinging side by side.
The other young monkeys noticed the change in Susu. “He’s different now,” said one. “He doesn’t tease so much.”
“Yes,” said another, “he’s actually really fun to play with.”
Hearing that made Susu proud. He realized that kindness brought him even more friends than teasing ever did.
That evening, as the sun set and the sky turned orange, Mama Lala watched the little monkeys curl up together near the big tree. She smiled when she saw Susu and Mimi sitting close, sharing a banana.
Susu looked up and caught Mama Lala’s eyes. She gave him a gentle nod, proud of how much he’d grown.
The forest grew quiet except for the chirping of crickets and the soft rustling of leaves. Susu yawned, resting his head on his friend’s shoulder.
“Good night, Mimi,” he whispered.
“Good night, Susu,” she replied. “No more teasing tomorrow, okay?”
Susu giggled softly. “Promise.”
And as the stars appeared above, baby monkey Susu drifted to sleep—no longer the naughty teaser he once was, but a caring little friend who had learned that laughter is sweetest when shared with kindness.
