Lala was a curious little monkey who lived on the edge of a large mango grove. She loved swinging from tree to tree, nibbling on sweet fruit, and watching the clouds float lazily across the sky. But what she loved most of all was spending time with her best friend, Bibi.
Bibi wasn’t a monkey like Lala. She was a bright yellow parrot with dazzling green-tipped wings and a beak that was always ready for a laugh or a snack. The two had grown up together in the same forest, and although they were different in many ways, they always had fun.
One breezy morning, Lala was sitting on a thick tree branch, munching on a ripe banana, when she heard the flutter of wings above her.
“Lala!” squawked Bibi, landing nearby. “Guess what I found!”
Lala’s eyes lit up. “Is it a hidden banana stash?”
“No!” Bibi laughed. “Even better! There’s a music festival happening in the clearing near the river. Birds are coming from all over the forest to sing and dance!”
Lala tilted her head. “Music festival? I don’t know… I’ve never really danced. And I can’t sing like you, Bibi.”
Bibi fluffed her feathers proudly. “It’s not about being perfect! It’s about having fun. Come with me, please?”
Lala hesitated. She loved Bibi, but loud sounds sometimes made her nervous. Still, she didn’t want to miss out.
“Okay,” she said at last, “but only if we can leave early if I don’t like it.”
“Deal!” chirped Bibi, and off they flew and leaped toward the river clearing.
The festival was already buzzing with life. Sparrows sang in harmony, toucans tapped their beaks on hollow logs like drums, and even the turtles were swaying in rhythm. Lala was amazed. She tapped her foot to the beat and started nodding her head. Soon, without even realizing it, she was dancing—just a little. But enough for Bibi to notice.
“You do like music!” Bibi shouted gleefully.
Lala giggled. “Maybe I do! But I still can’t sing like you.”
“That’s okay,” said Bibi, wrapping a wing around her friend. “Maybe we just like different parts of music.”
As the day went on, Lala and Bibi explored all sorts of festival stalls. One had handmade instruments. Another let animals paint with their paws or feathers. Lala was drawn to a corner where a group of animals were using sticks and leaves to make puppets.
“I want to try this!” Lala said, her eyes sparkling.
Bibi cocked her head. “You like crafts?”
Lala nodded. “Always have. I used to weave little baskets out of grass for fun.”
Bibi smiled. “I never knew that! I usually just scribble with berries.”
“Maybe we could make a puppet show together sometime,” Lala offered.
“Oooh! Yes! A musical puppet show!”
They spent the rest of the day trying new things. Bibi joined Lala in crafting leafy hats, and Lala watched Bibi sing with a group of parrots. They even tried juggling mangoes—badly—and ended up laughing in a heap on the ground.
That night, under the stars, they lay on their backs looking up.
“Lala,” Bibi said softly, “do you think we’re very different?”
Lala thought for a moment. “Sometimes I do. You love flying high and being around crowds. I like quiet spaces and gentle things. But today I learned that maybe we’re not as different as I thought.”
“Really?” Bibi asked.
“Yes,” Lala replied. “We both like being silly. We both like making things. And we both love sharing fun with each other.”
Bibi nodded. “I always thought I was the only one who liked being creative. But you’ve got a creative heart too, Lala. Just a different kind.”
They smiled at each other in the dark.
The next morning, Lala had an idea.
“Bibi!” she called, swinging over to the big fig tree. “Let’s have our own festival!”
“Our own?” Bibi blinked.
“Yes! A little one. Just us. We can bring our favorite things—yours and mine—and make a special day!”
Bibi’s wings fluttered with excitement. “Let’s do it!”
So that day, the friends prepared. Lala braided vines into garlands and built a small puppet stage. Bibi practiced a silly song about mangoes and rain. Together, they made animal-shaped cookies out of mashed bananas and coconut shavings.
When their mini festival began, they invited a few forest friends: a shy hedgehog, two curious ducklings, and a sleepy chameleon. Lala performed a short puppet play while Bibi sang in the background. Then the audience joined in for a dancing circle, and Lala taught them how to make nature bracelets.
It wasn’t a big event, but it was cozy and full of laughter. And most importantly, it was theirs.
As the sun set, the two friends sat on a branch, tired and happy.
“You know,” Bibi said, “maybe we have more in common than we ever realized.”
Lala smiled. “We both like joy. We just find it in different ways—and that’s what makes us such a good team.”
Bibi fluffed her feathers and leaned against her friend. “Same tree, different branches.”
Lala nodded. “Exactly.”
And from that day on, whenever someone asked if Lala and Bibi were alike, they would both laugh and say:
“More than you’d think—but just enough to surprise you.”
