Monkey in the Middle

Three weeks into Pre-school, Syon was given his first school project- a report on the weekend he spent with a toy monkey he brought home from school. Part fact, part fiction, it's gone down really well at his school, so we thought we should share it with you!

Monkey had always prided himself on spreading cheer wherever he went. With an infectious grin that could melt the hardest heart, and a shock of tangerine hair that stood straight up and put smiles on the faces of everyone around him, Monkey was always a hit with the families he visited.

What he hadn’t anticipated, when he asked to spend the weekend with 3 and a bit year old Syon and his 22 month old sister, was how BIG a hit he would be with them! So, he packed his little suitcase like always, without any inkling of the hair-raising experiences in store for him, and got ready to go on another one of his mini-holidays.

When Mommy and Ayana came to pick Syon up from school that day, Monkey shook hands politely (he was a very suave monkey), hopped on the buggy board with Syon whom he already knew well from the time they spent together in school, and rolled home with them.


And that’s when everyone’s world turned upside down!

Ayana had grown in leaps and bounds over the previous year and was able to join her big brother in any activity. Syon considered her his very best friend. So, Ayana was a little taken aback when Syon chose to play with Monkey that afternoon and not her!

Her own feelings about this interloper in their midst were rather mixed. She wanted him to go home so she could have Syon back, but she also wanted to play with Monkey all by herself. She was surprised at how sorry she felt for herself because she was the happiest little girl in the world. Syon, who loved her to bits, was so immersed in playing with his new companion, he hadn’t even noticed how blue she was feeling.

The next day, Mommy and Daddy took Syon and Ayana to the Goose Fair. Monkey was their Guest of Honour on this, their first ever trip to the Goose Fair, and Syon made room for him in his much-loved Bob the Builder backpack. Ayana, not to be outdone, slipped on her own Peppa Pig rucksack, and they were on their way.

The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and despite the nip in the air, it was a lovely day to be at the Fair. Syon, Ayana, and Monkey rushed around happily, picking all the rides they wanted to try.

Syon got to pick first and he decided they would all ride on a lovely, red fire engine with real bells you could ring as you went ‘round. Tired, after the fun but frenetic ride in the fire engine, they took a candy-floss break before moving on to more thrills and spills. Then, it was Ayana’s turn to choose and she chose a giant, musical, green teacup for their next adventure. Another magical ride and many shared giggles later, the clouds had begun to roll in threateningly (almost out of nowhere) and it was nearly time to go.

But not before Monkey got to pick one last treat. With his keen eye for fun, Monkey plumped for a game of hook-a-duck with a turn each for Syon & Ayana (Monkey himself abstained as rubber ducks were amongst his best friends and he didn’t want to snare them with pointy hooks). The kids enjoyed it thoroughly though and each won a nice little toy to add to their growing collection at home.

Just then the heavens opened up! A flustered Mommy and Daddy rounded up the kids, their bags, their toys and were just about to herd them all to the tram stop when they realised that Monkey was missing!

OH NO, WHERE COULD HE BE?!!

As big fat raindrops tumbled down, there was a mad scramble to find Monkey before the next tram rolled in. Syon looked in his Bob bag, just in case Monkey had jumped in to keep dry. Ayana, the smallest in the family, looked under the Hook-a-Duck stall to ensure Monkey hadn’t taken cover there. Daddy did a circuit of the fairground and Mommy checked her capacious handbag to make sure Monkey wasn’t hiding in it.

Downhearted and deflated, they all piled into the tram wondering where poor Monkey had got to. No-one noticed the telltale bulge in Ayana’s Peppa Pig bag, because the occasional packet of raisins or a bangle or two aside, nothing was ever in there.

Monkey knew they were worried about him but couldn’t pop his head out to reassure them because he couldn’t find his way out of the bag. He wasn’t entirely sure how he’d got in there either. One minute he was perched on Syon’s shoulder, egging him on to hook a duck, the next minute, they were in the middle of a deluge and he was being bundled into Ayana’s little pink bag by unseen (tiny, little, soft) hands.

But who would put Monkey in the WRONG BAG?!!

It was only when a still-upset Mommy was shaking out all the bags and hats and things to dry before bedtime, that fateful night, that Monkey finally escaped from his Peppa Pig prison. Syon was elated to see Monkey, his parents were relieved but someone with tiny, little, soft hands looked a bit guilt-ridden and shifty.

The next morning, Monkey, being the gentleman he was, explained that it had all been his fault. In the confusion of being caught in that sudden shower, Monkey had dived into the pink bag thinking it was Syon’s blue and yellow Bob the Builder backpack. Mommy and Daddy told Monkey they were just glad he was safe (and dry) but they were concerned that Monkey was colour-blind (how else could you account for his confusing pink with blue and yellow?) and they suggested they all ride into town for an eye-test.

Gallant Monkey, who was fairly sure he knew what had happened, agreed to go through with it, to shield the little scallywag with the soft little hands whom he’d grown very fond of (as fond as he was of Syon).

So, the next day they all piled into the car to visit the optician. Monkey was nervous but determined not to rat on anyone. At the optician’s, a big man with great, big, misty glasses and cold hands placed Monkey into a huge, black chair that totally dwarfed him. The man asked Monkey in a booming voice to identify the colours he could see before him. Monkey was so very frightened he couldn’t get a single colour right but he was determined not to spill the beans, so he soldiered on, resigned to his fate.

But when the man brought his face inches from Monkey’s and cackled, “This monkey will definitely need glasses!”, big wet tears began rolling down Monkey’s face. Suddenly, little sobs could be heard from the other end of the room, as if there was an echo there.

Mommy, Daddy and Syon turned to see Little Ayana crying her eyes out. “Oh Monkey”, she sobbed,” I didn’t mean for this to happen! I just wanted to be the one who saved you from getting wet in the rain yesterday, that’s why I slipped you into MY BAG. I wanted you to love me best. I’m so sorry!”

As Mommy and Daddy drew her into a loving embrace to comfort her, Monkey (who now no longer needed glasses) hopped off the scary chair to give her a special Monkey squeeze. “Don’t worry Ayana”, he said, “I love you and Syon equally. You are amongst my favourite little people!”

But most importantly, Syon hugged Ayana and told her that there was nobody in the world more important to him than his little sister (not even a very special visiting monkey)! And they all went home happy, munching on chocolate chip cookies.