The poor baby monkey sat alone, shivering in the corner of the forest floor. Its tiny body was covered in mud, dried leaves sticking to its fur, and patches of dirt crusted around its eyes and mouth. The baby had wandered too far from its mother, slipping down a muddy slope after the morning rain. Now, it sat trembling, helpless, and so terribly dirty.
The other monkeys, high in the trees, chattered and leapt from branch to branch, but no one seemed to notice the baby below. Its once-soft fur was matted and tangled, coated with thick layers of grime and dust. Each time the little monkey tried to wipe its face with its tiny hands, it only made things worse, smearing mud across its cheeks and into its eyes. It let out soft cries, barely louder than the rustling leaves around it.
The baby monkey’s stomach growled with hunger, but the fruit and leaves scattered nearby were covered in dirt, and it didn’t know which ones were safe to eat. It tried nibbling on a small leaf, but the bitter taste made it spit it out. With no mother to clean it or comfort it, the baby monkey sat there, growing sadder with each passing minute.
Flies buzzed near its ears, attracted to the smell of damp fur and mud. The baby swatted at them with clumsy hands, but the flies always came back, circling around its head. Its tiny nose wrinkled as the dirt and dust tickled, making it sneeze. Each sneeze sent a puff of dust into the air, making the poor baby even dirtier.
The forest floor was no place for a baby monkey to be alone. There were dangers lurking—snakes hiding under leaves, sharp thorns in the underbrush, and cold puddles that soaked its feet. The baby’s eyes filled with tears, leaving clean tracks down its muddy face, but there was no one to see, no one to help.
All the baby wanted was its mother’s warm arms, her soft tongue gently licking away the dirt, and the comfort of her heartbeat nearby. But the forest was too big, and the trees were too tall. The baby monkey, so dirty and so small, could only sit and wait, hoping someone would hear its cries and come to its rescue.
