





It was a warm and sunny afternoon in the village, and little Lala, the mischievous baby monkey, was bursting with excitement. The smell of vanilla and sugar drifted through the air from Thuy’s kitchen. Lala had always loved watching Thuy bake — the way she mixed the flour, cracked the eggs, and made beautiful little cakes that everyone loved. But today was different. Today, Lala wanted to help.
“Thuy! Thuy!” Lala called out, swinging from the window ledge into the kitchen. “Can I help you make cakes today? Please?”
Thuy, wearing her favorite blue apron, laughed. “Lala, it’s very sweet of you to want to help, but baking can be messy and a bit tricky.”
“I can be careful!” Lala promised, puffing out her tiny chest. “I’ll be the best helper ever!”
Thuy looked at the little monkey’s big, hopeful eyes and finally gave in. “Alright, but you must follow my instructions exactly. No jumping, no swinging, and definitely no tasting until the cakes are done!”
Lala clapped her hands and did a little happy dance, knocking over a spoon in the process.
“Oops! Sorry!” she said quickly.
Thuy chuckled and handed Lala a small bowl. “Here. You can start by stirring the flour and sugar together. Nice and slow.”
Lala nodded seriously and got to work. She tried her best to be gentle, but her little arms were just too excited. As she stirred, a puff of flour exploded into the air, landing on both of them like snow.
“Lala!” Thuy cried.
“Sorry, sorry! It’s just… so fun!”
Thuy sighed, but she was smiling. “Okay, let’s move on. I’ll crack the eggs, and you can hold the whisk.”







Lala’s ears drooped, and she felt a pang of guilt. But she wanted to fix it. So, while Thuy went to get more ingredients, Lala had another idea.
“I’ll surprise her and make the batter myself!” she whispered. “Then she’ll be proud of me.”
She climbed up the shelves — carefully, but not carefully enough — trying to reach the bag of flour. It was big. Too big for her tiny hands. As she tugged it off the shelf, it slipped and fell with a huge POOF, covering the kitchen floor like a white cloud. Lala tumbled down with it, landing in the pile, coughing and sneezing.
The noise brought Thuy running. Her eyes widened at the mess.
“LALA!”
The baby monkey sat in the middle of the flour pile, looking like a snow-covered statue.
“I was just… helping,” Lala said with a tiny voice.
Thuy didn’t yell. She didn’t scold. She just sat down and laughed. The whole situation was so ridiculous — flour everywhere, eggs rolling on the floor, Lala looking like a powdery ghost.
“Oh Lala…” Thuy said through giggles. “You have the biggest heart, but the smallest patience!”
Lala slowly smiled. “I just wanted to be your helper.”
“I know,” Thuy said, wiping her face. “But helping means listening and following instructions too.”
“I’ll do better,” Lala promised. “Can I still help?”
Thuy looked around at the mess and then nodded. “Yes. But this time, we clean first. Then we bake together. Deal?”





“Deal!” Lala shouted, leaping into the air — and promptly knocking over the milk.
“LALA!” Thuy shouted, but she was laughing again.
After cleaning up the kitchen — which took almost an hour — Thuy and Lala began again, this time working side by side. Thuy measured each ingredient carefully, and Lala stirred gently under her watchful eye. When it was time to pour the batter into the little cake molds, Thuy guided Lala’s hands.
“No surprises, okay?” she said with a wink.
“No surprises!” Lala promised.
They placed the cakes into the oven and sat together by the window, watching the oven light glow and waiting for the sweet smell to return.
“You know,” Thuy said softly, “You remind me of myself when I was young.”
“Really?” Lala said, surprised.
“I always wanted to help my grandma in the kitchen. And I made just as many messes,” Thuy said with a laugh.
Lala grinned. “So, you forgave me?”
“Of course. Mistakes are how we learn. And you tried because you care.”
Ding! The oven timer rang.
The cakes were ready.
Thuy pulled them out, golden and perfect, and the smell was even better than before. They cooled the cakes on the windowsill, and Lala helped decorate them with strawberries and a little powdered sugar.
Finally, they sat down and each took a bite.








“Mmm!” Lala’s eyes widened. “These are the best cakes ever!”
“They are,” Thuy agreed. “And you know what? You really were a good helper in the end.”
Lala beamed. “Next time, I’ll be even better!”
Thuy smiled and handed Lala a little chef’s hat she had hidden behind her back.
“For the kitchen’s most enthusiastic helper.”
Lala placed it proudly on her head. “Chef Lala, ready for duty!”
As the sun began to set, the two friends sat together, eating their sweet creations and laughing about the wild day they had
And even though Lala had gotten into a lot of trouble, she had also learned a very important lesson — sometimes, the best help comes from listening, learning, and working together.
And next time? She’d be ready — with less flour on the floor and more love in every bite.