In the middle of the lively Mango Tree Forest lived a little monkey named Milo. He was full of energy, always swinging from branches, cracking jokes, and doing flips. But there was one thing Milo wasn’t very good at — listening.
At school, when Miss Owl taught important lessons, Milo would be hanging upside down or drawing bananas in his notebook.
“Milo, are you paying attention?” Miss Owl would ask.
“Yes, Miss Owl!” Milo would grin — even though he had no clue what the lesson was about.
One sunny morning, Miss Owl gave a very serious warning. “Tomorrow, there will be heavy rain. The river may overflow. Please stay close to your homes and don’t go near the water.”
All the animals nodded. Even the noisy parrots listened carefully.
But Milo? He was busy tickling a squirrel under the table.
The next day, as clouds rolled in and thunder growled in the sky, Milo woke up excited. “Rain! That means slippery trees and big splashes!”
Without telling anyone, he ran toward the river.
At first, it was fun. He swung from vines and danced in puddles. But soon, the river began to roar. Water rushed faster and faster, and Milo slipped, landing on a floating log.
“Uh-oh,” he whispered as the log drifted into the middle of the wild river.
Back home, his friends noticed he was missing. Miss Owl sent out the elephants, the birds, and even the beavers. Finally, they found Milo clinging to a branch, shivering and scared.
Back on dry ground, Miss Owl wrapped him in a warm leaf blanket.
“I’m sorry,” Milo whispered. “I should’ve listened.”
Miss Owl smiled gently. “Listening isn’t just hearing words, Milo. It’s about understanding them — especially when they keep you safe.”
From that day on, Milo still swung from trees and did flips… but he always listened first.
Moral of the Story: Always pay attention when someone is trying to help — especially when it comes to your safety.