Momo sprawled lazily across his favorite branch, his fluffy tail dangling and his eyes half-lidded in contentment. He barely stirred as butterflies landed on his toes, his only movement the occasional flick of an ear at a passing insect.
Kiki, cheeks bulging with seeds, swings energetically up to the branch where Momo lounges.
"Momo! Wake up!"
"Why the rush, Kiki? Those mangoes aren't going anywhere. They’re just hanging there, ripening. I’m just... ripening, too."
"But the troop needs everyone's help. It’s a lot of work to carry them all back before sunset."
"I believe in you. I’ll be there in spirit. Or perhaps in my dreams. Now, move a bit? You’re casting a shadow on my favorite patch of sun."
Kiki sighs, shakes her head, and disappears into the lush green blur.
Momo dozes, shifting only as the shade creeps along his branch. His stomach eventually rumbles louder than the cicadas, compelling him to yawn and stretch.
"The feast should be starting right about now. I bet there’s a mountain of mangoes waiting for me," he muses, swinging down toward the Elder’s clearing.
Elder Barnaby, the oldest and wisest of the troop, sits beside the last golden slice of mango, his walking stick resting in the soft earth.
"Elder Barnaby! I’m here for the feast! Where is the pile? Where are the mangoes?"
"Ah, Momo. You’ve missed it. It was a magnificent feast. The mangoes were so sweet the honeybees were jealous."
"But... where is my share? Kiki said there was a whole ridge full of them!"
"There was. And those who climbed the ridge, braved the thorns, and carried the heavy baskets were the ones who sat down to eat. You see, Momo, the jungle has a very old rule: The hands that help are the mouths that eat. We assumed you were so fond of your nap that you wouldn't want to be bothered by the effort of chewing."
Momo looks down at his empty hands, the lesson settling heavier than any nap.
Momo tosses and turns on his branch, haunted by images of sweet mangoes just out of reach. Determination begins to replace his usual laziness, and he makes a quiet promise to himself as the stars wheel overhead.
Kiki blinks in surprise as Momo appears, a large woven basket slung across his back and a sheepish grin on his face.
"Heading to the berry bushes early? I figure I’ve had enough sleep to last me a month. Today, I’m the lead climber."
Kiki laughs and tosses him a sturdy vine.
Momo realizes, as he swings into the sunlit canopy, that nothing tastes quite as good as the fruit you’ve earned yourself.
