It was a bright and cheerful morning on CUTIS Farm. Birds chirped from the trees, ducks quacked in the pond, and the sun cast a warm golden light over the cozy farmhouse. In the kitchen, Mama Thuy was preparing a fresh breakfast, humming a gentle tune. Lala, the ever-curious and energetic baby monkey, was perched on her high wooden chair beside the table.
Lala had been in a very good mood that morning. She had just finished her favorite fruit — banana with honey — and was now eyeing something she loved even more: fresh mango juice. Mama Thuy poured two glasses — one for herself and one for her mischievous little companion.
“Now, Lala,” Mama Thuy said softly, placing a bright orange sippy cup in front of her. “Drink slowly. No jumping, no spilling, okay?”
Lala squeaked in agreement and clapped her tiny hands. Her tail swayed with excitement. She loved mango juice almost as much as she loved climbing trees. With a giggle, she grabbed her cup and took a big slurp, eyes wide with delight.
Everything was going perfectly — until Lala noticed a butterfly fluttering near the open window.
“Ooooh!” she squealed, still holding her juice. The butterfly danced in the sunlight, teasing her with its graceful flutters. Unable to resist, Lala leapt from her chair, juice in hand, and darted toward the window.
“Lala! No!” Mama Thuy called out, but it was too late.
With a small crash, Lala’s little feet slipped on the tiled floor. Her juice flew up into the air like a fountain, splashing onto the table, the wall, and even the cat, Kiki, who had been peacefully napping on the windowsill. Kiki let out a dramatic yowl and dashed out of the room, leaving sticky paw prints behind.
Lala landed on her bottom, wide-eyed and blinking in surprise. Juice was dripping from her ears and fur. She looked around at the mess, then up at Mama Thuy.
There was a moment of silence. Then Mama Thuy sighed, walked over, and picked Lala up gently.
“Oh, Lala,” she said, wiping juice off the little monkey’s face. “What am I going to do with you?”
Lala gave her a sheepish grin, then pointed toward the butterfly, which was still flitting outside the window. Mama Thuy couldn’t help but smile a little too.
“You’ve got a curious heart, my sweet girl. But now we’ve got quite a mess to clean up!”
With Lala in her arms, Mama Thuy looked around the kitchen. The table was a disaster. The floor was sticky. The cat would need a bath. And somehow, even the ceiling had a few juice splatters.
“Let’s get you cleaned up first,” she said.
Lala was taken to the bathroom, where she sat in a warm little tub. She giggled as Mama Thuy washed her ears and combed the juice out of her fur. Once clean and wrapped in a soft towel, she was carried back to the kitchen, which now looked more like a juice explosion site than a breakfast nook.
Together, they began to clean. Well, mostly Mama Thuy cleaned. Lala tried to help, but her version of helping involved licking the juice off the table and waving the towel around like a superhero cape.
After an hour, everything was back in order. Mama Thuy poured herself a new glass of mango juice and gave Lala a tiny cup — this time without a lid.
“Now remember,” Mama Thuy said sternly but with love in her voice, “no chasing butterflies indoors!”
Lala nodded solemnly and sipped her juice slowly. This time, she sat very still on her chair.
But of course, peace didn’t last long.
Farmer CUTIS looked at Lala, then burst out laughing.
“Well, I guess it’s juice day at CUTIS Farm!” he said with a grin.
Even Mama Thuy couldn’t help but laugh now. She hugged Lala close and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
“You certainly know how to keep us on our toes,” she said.
Lala giggled and snuggled close to her mom. The ducks quacked happily as they finished licking up the juice from the floor, and Kiki the cat peeked back in, cautiously sniffing the air.
The rest of the day was calm — well, as calm as a day with Lala could be. She played in the yard with the ducks (under supervision), helped Farmer CUTIS water the plants (though she got more water on herself than the flowers), and in the afternoon, she cuddled in Mama Thuy’s arms for a nap.
As the sun began to set, Mama Thuy rocked Lala gently in a hammock on the porch. The sky was painted in soft orange and pink, just like the mango juice from earlier.
“Today was quite an adventure,” she whispered.
Lala yawned and blinked slowly. Her tiny hand held on to Mama Thuy’s finger.
“But remember,” Mama Thuy added, “no more juice-chasing butterflies indoors, okay?”
Lala gave a soft squeak and drifted off to sleep.
Despite all the trouble, Mama Thuy wouldn’t trade a single moment. Life on the farm with a curious baby monkey was never boring — and full of sweet, sticky love.
The End.
