In a quiet village nestled at the edge of a dense jungle, the locals often saw monkeys swing through the trees, but none were as mischievous as a tiny monkey named Tiko. He was small, quick, and always full of wild ideas. Tiko lived with his troop in the trees above the village, but he was unusually curious about humans and their strange objects.
One day, Tiko spotted something odd on the ground near a house. It was small, shiny, and had buttons. What caught his attention most, though, was the soft, strange movement it made. It twitched and scurried—not a toy, Tiko realized with wide eyes—it was a creature. A mouse!
The mouse, tiny and brown with big ears, had wandered too far from its hiding place and was now sniffing around the edge of a fruit basket left outside. Tiko crept closer, his movements quiet, eyes focused. The mouse was completely unaware of the danger above.
In a flash, Tiko dropped down from a tree branch, snatched the mouse in his tiny hands, and darted away before anyone could react. The villagers barely caught a glimpse of the blur that zoomed past their feet.
“Tiko!” shouted one of the older monkeys, who had been watching from above. But the little monkey was already gone, his new friend in tow.
Through the jungle he ran, hopping over logs and weaving through bushes, gripping the squirming mouse gently but firmly. He didn’t want to hurt it—he was just fascinated. He had never seen such a small, furry creature up close. He brought the mouse to his favorite hiding spot: a hollow tree where he kept shiny things he’d stolen from the village.
The mouse, terrified at first, soon realized Tiko meant no harm. Tiko set it down and offered it half a banana. Hesitant but hungry, the mouse began to eat. Tiko chirped happily and sat beside it, watching with fascination.
For the rest of the afternoon, Tiko and the mouse sat together. They played, shared fruit, and explored the area around the tree. But as the sun began to set, the mouse looked toward the village, as if sensing it was time to go home.
Tiko understood. With a small sigh, he picked up the mouse gently again—not to steal, this time, but to return. He raced back to the village edge and set the mouse down near the same fruit basket. The mouse gave one last glance, then disappeared into the shadows.
Tiko watched it go, a smile on his face. He didn’t need to keep it forever. Just a moment was enough.
