It was one of those bright, cheerful mornings in the jungle. The sun peeked through the trees, birds chirped like tiny musicians, and CUTIS was in an especially good mood. He had just finished building a little swing out of vines and leaves near their favorite mango tree.
“Perfect!” CUTIS said proudly, testing the swing with a big smile. “Now baby monkey will love this!”
But little did CUTIS know… baby monkey was planning something. Something funny—or at least he thought it would be funny.
Baby monkey was hiding behind a bush, peeking out mischievously. “Hehe… CUTIS always plays tricks on me. Today’s my turn!”
He had found a small piece of sticky fruit earlier, and he thought it would be hilarious to spread it on CUTIS’s swing seat. “He’ll sit on it, and his fur will get all sticky! He’ll look so funny!”
He giggled to himself, whispering, “Just a little joke. He’ll laugh too… right?”
When CUTIS turned around to grab another vine, baby monkey quickly ran up, smeared the sticky fruit all over the seat, and darted back into hiding.
CUTIS turned back and smiled. “Time to test the swing!”
He sat down happily—and SQUISH!
The sound was loud and sticky. CUTIS froze.
“Wait… what’s that?” He stood up slowly and looked down. His tail and back were covered in thick, gooey fruit paste.
“Ewww! What in the jungle is this?!” CUTIS shouted, trying to shake it off, but the sticky mess only spread more. His fur clumped together, and little bits of dirt and leaves stuck to it.
From behind the bush came a soft snicker… then full-blown laughter.
“Hehehe! You should see your face, CUTIS!” baby monkey burst out, rolling on the ground laughing. “You’re all sticky like a fruit pancake!”
CUTIS turned toward him, eyes wide in disbelief. “Wait… YOU did this?!”
Baby monkey was laughing too hard to notice how serious CUTIS’s tone had become. “Haha! Yes! It’s just a little joke! You look so funny!”
But CUTIS wasn’t laughing. His tail twitched in irritation, and his cheeks puffed up. “Baby monkey! This isn’t funny! Look at me! I’m covered in this gross stuff!”
Baby monkey stopped laughing for a second, but then snorted again. “Hehe… but you do look funny…”
CUTIS crossed his arms, glaring. “Not to me! You ruined my new swing! And now I have to clean all this off!”
He stormed toward the river, muttering under his breath. Baby monkey followed behind, still giggling nervously.
“Come on, CUTIS, don’t be mad. It was just a joke!”
CUTIS didn’t even turn around. “A joke is only funny if both monkeys are laughing, baby monkey. I’m not laughing.”
When they reached the river, CUTIS jumped in, splashing water everywhere, trying to wash off the sticky fruit. The water turned cloudy as the goo washed away, and small leaves floated by.
Baby monkey stood on the riverbank, fidgeting. “I didn’t mean to make you that mad…”
CUTIS looked up, dripping wet, fur still sticky in some spots. “You never think before you joke! Remember last week when you hid my banana stash?”
Baby monkey scratched his head. “Oh… yeah.”
“And when you tied my tail to a vine?”
Baby monkey chuckled softly. “Hehe, that one was funny though.”
CUTIS groaned. “You don’t get it! I always laugh with you. But this time, you made me feel like a fool.”
Baby monkey’s smile faded. His little ears drooped. “I… I didn’t want that.”
CUTIS sighed, still scrubbing his fur. “I know you didn’t mean to, but jokes can hurt feelings too, baby monkey.”
The river was quiet for a while. The sound of running water and chirping birds filled the silence between them. Baby monkey sat down near the edge, watching his reflection in the water. He looked small, his eyes heavy with guilt.
“CUTIS…” he said softly, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to make you laugh like you always make me laugh.”
CUTIS looked at him, his anger melting a little. “You could’ve just told me a joke instead of turning me into a fruit pancake.”
Baby monkey’s lips quivered, and his eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t think it would make you sad. I just wanted us to have fun.”
CUTIS walked over, dripping but calmer now. “I know, little buddy. You just need to think before you joke next time, okay? If it might hurt someone, it’s not worth it.”
Baby monkey sniffled. “Okay…”
CUTIS smiled faintly and flicked a drop of water onto his friend’s nose. “Now come here. Help me clean up this mess!”
Baby monkey giggled a little, wiping his tears. “Okay!” He grabbed some leaves and started helping CUTIS scrub the sticky bits off. It was messy work, but soon both of them were laughing again—especially when CUTIS accidentally splashed baby monkey right in the face.
“Hey!” baby monkey shouted, laughing. “Now you’re doing it!”
CUTIS smirked. “Maybe this is my revenge splash!”
Baby monkey laughed harder, splashing him back. Soon, the riverbank turned into a mini water fight—splashing, laughing, and shouting echoing through the jungle.
After a while, they both lay on the grass, panting and giggling, watching the sunlight dance on the water.
“See?” CUTIS said between laughs. “Now this is funny—because we’re both happy.”
Baby monkey smiled shyly. “Yeah… I like this better.”
CUTIS turned toward him. “You’re my best friend, baby monkey. I never stay mad for long. But you gotta promise—no more sticky tricks, okay?”
Baby monkey raised his hand like he was taking an oath. “Promise! From now on, only good jokes!”
CUTIS grinned. “Good. Now… let’s see if your joke skills are as good as your cleaning skills.”
Baby monkey laughed. “I can try! Knock, knock!”
CUTIS rolled his eyes but smiled. “Who’s there?”
“Banana!”
“Banana who?”
Baby monkey grinned mischievously. “Banana you glad I didn’t say sticky fruit again?”
CUTIS burst out laughing, rolling on the grass. “Haha! Okay, that one was actually funny!”
Baby monkey giggled proudly. “See! No sticky mess—just laughs!”
As the day turned to afternoon, the two monkeys climbed up into their favorite tree, sharing some fresh mangoes. The argument was long forgotten, replaced by laughter, friendship, and the warmth of forgiveness.
“CUTIS?” baby monkey said softly.
“Yeah?”
“I really am sorry.”
CUTIS smiled, handing him another piece of mango. “I know you are. Just remember, buddy—sometimes the best jokes are the ones that make people smile, not sticky.”
Baby monkey nodded, taking a bite of mango. “Got it!”
CUTIS grinned. “Good. Because if you ever do that again…” He paused dramatically. “I’ll tickle you for an hour straight!”
Baby monkey gasped. “Nooo! Not the tickles!”
Both of them exploded with laughter, the sound echoing across the forest.
By sunset, everything was back to normal. CUTIS had clean fur again, the swing was fixed, and baby monkey had learned an important lesson: sometimes a joke can go too far—but a true friend always forgives.
Moral of the story:
Laughter is wonderful, but kindness makes it even better. A real joke never hurts—it brings hearts closer. 🐒❤️
