From the moment dawn broke over the small hillside village, the forest behind it woke up with its usual chorus of chirping birds and rustling leaves. But that morning, one sound rose above the others—a tiny squeak, sharp and playful, as if someone was shouting for attention. It was none other than Koko, the most curious baby monkey anyone had ever seen.
Koko had soft golden-brown fur, big shining eyes, and a bold personality that often made the adults in the troop sigh, widen their eyes, or sometimes shout, “OMG! No—what are you doing, baby monkey?!”
Today would be no different.
A MORNING FULL OF TROUBLE
Koko’s curiosity always activated the moment he opened his eyes. While the other baby monkeys stayed close to their mothers, Koko loved wandering off, poking at anything shiny, round, or moving.
This morning, Mama Nari—the calmest mother in the troop—had barely stood up when she noticed Koko wasn’t beside her.
“Koko?” she called.
No answer.
“Koko?” she said again, louder this time.
Still no answer.
Everyone knew what that meant. Koko was already up to something.
Finally, they spotted him perched near the edge of an old woven basket left by villagers the previous day. Inside it were colorful fruits—mangoes, bananas, and some strange round fruits Koko had never seen before. His little fingers stretched toward them with pure determination.
“Koko! OMG, no, what are you doing?” Mama Nari gasped, rushing forward.
But Koko, being Koko, didn’t wait. He hopped straight into the basket like it was his personal playground. Fruits rolled everywhere. A mango hit his tiny foot, and he jumped back with surprise, then laughed in his little monkey way—soft, squeaky, and delighted.
The older monkeys looked horrified. The younger monkeys looked amazed. Koko didn’t care. He picked up one of the unfamiliar fruits and sniffed it, even tried to roll it like a toy ball.
Mama Nari lifted him out with that tired, loving expression only parents can make.
“Koko,” she sighed, “you cannot climb inside every basket you see.”
Koko blinked at her innocent eyes, as if saying, “But why not?”
THE GREAT ESCAPE
After breakfast, the troop moved to the tall trees by the river. Koko should have followed closely, but he spotted something sparkling in the grass—a metal spoon glinting in the sunlight.
Before anyone could say a word, Koko dashed toward it.
“KOKO!” all the older monkeys called in unison. “OMG! NO—what are you doing, baby monkey?!”
Koko picked up the spoon and examined it with fascination. He tapped it on the ground. He tried to chew it (which did not work at all). Then he held it up like a treasure he had proudly discovered.
Mama Nari hurried over once again.
“Koko, sweetie, that’s not a toy,” she said, gently pulling the spoon from his hands.
Koko protested with a small whine, but then got distracted—he spotted a butterfly fluttering nearby and immediately chased after it, completely forgetting the spoon.
The other mothers shook their heads.
“That child has too much energy,” one said.
“He’s going to give us all heart attacks,” said another.
But they all smiled. Even if he caused trouble, Koko brought laughter wherever he went.
THE SCARIEST MOMENT OF ALL
By noon, the troop rested under a huge shady tree beside the riverbank. The weather was warm, and the babies played together. Most of them crawled around the tree roots or climbed low branches.
Not Koko.
While the adults relaxed, Koko wandered toward the water. Ripples shimmered under the sunlight, and Koko found them magical. He leaned closer, fascinated by his reflection in the clear river.
“Koko, stay close!” Mama Nari reminded him.
But Koko only squeaked and leaned further.
Suddenly, he reached for a floating leaf—and lost his balance.
Everyone gasped.
“KOKO!! OMG! NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, BABY MONKEY?!”
Before he could tumble in, Uncle Ranu, the strongest monkey in the troop, leapt forward and scooped him up in one swift motion. Koko clung to him, shocked but unharmed.
“You cannot play near the water alone,” Uncle Ranu scolded gently.
Koko buried his face in his fur, embarrassed. He hadn’t meant to scare anyone. He only wanted to look closer at the pretty leaf.
Mama Nari wrapped her arms around him tightly.
“Koko,” she whispered, “you must stay safe. We love you too much.”
THE AFTERNOON ADVENTURE
After the river incident, the whole troop kept an even closer eye on Koko. But even with ten pairs of eyes watching, the mischievous baby still found ways to create excitement.
Later that afternoon, as the troop relaxed on a fallen log, Koko spotted something interesting—a long line of ants marching across the bark. He leaned over, following them closely. He was fascinated by how they all moved together in such perfect order.
But then he decided he wanted to join them.
Koko placed his tiny hand right in the middle of the ant line, thinking they would play with him. Instead, the ants scattered in every direction.
“Koko! OMG—what are you doing now?” his cousins giggled from above.
Koko looked confused. Why didn’t they want to play? He shrugged it off and swung up to a low branch to continue his adventures.
And so the day went on, with Koko poking, climbing, grabbing, slipping, rolling, and surprising everyone around him.
BUT THEN… A SURPRISE!
As the sun began to set and the forest cooled down, Koko suddenly did something no one expected.
He walked up to Mama Nari, carrying a small yellow flower in his tiny hands. He held it out shyly, his eyes soft and full of sweetness.
“For me?” Mama Nari asked.
Koko nodded.
“Oh, Koko,” she said, her heart melting. “You little troublemaker. Even when you drive us all crazy, you’re still the sweetest baby.”
She hugged him close, and Koko rested quietly against her chest. The whole troop watched with warm smiles.
“He may cause chaos,” Uncle Ranu said proudly, “but he has the biggest heart.”
Koko squeaked happily.
THE END OF A LONG, WILD DAY
That night, as the stars appeared and the forest fell calm, Koko finally dozed off in Mama Nari’s arms. His mischievous adventures were paused—at least until morning.
Mama Nari kissed the top of his tiny head.
“Sleep well, my brave little explorer,” she whispered. “Tomorrow, please… try not to make me say ‘OMG! NO—what are you doing, baby monkey?!’ too many times.”
But everyone knew the truth.
Tomorrow, Koko would do exactly that.
And they wouldn’t want it any other way.
