It was a warm afternoon in the cozy room where three baby monkeys—Janna, Jerry, and Sara—gathered for their midday milk. The smallest food table had been neatly prepared, with three milk bottles waiting for them, one for each. Janna, the eldest at one and a half years old, sat patiently, her eyes full of curiosity and understanding. Jerry, the middle child, a 1-year-old, had a glint of mischief in his eyes. He was known for being a spoiled boy who adored clinging to their mom. And Sara, the youngest, only 5 months old, sat quietly, her tiny hands resting on the table.
Their mom entered the room with a gentle smile. She had their lunch all set—bottles filled with warm milk. Before letting them drink, she knelt down in front of the trio, placing a hand on each of their little heads.
“Now, my loves,” she began softly, “you need to be calm and wait your turn. One by one, everyone will get their milk. Let’s respect each other, okay?”
Janna nodded, always the responsible one. She understood what mom was saying, and though she was hungry, she waited patiently. Sara, still too young to fully grasp everything, simply stared up at mom, her big eyes wide and full of innocence. She wiggled her little legs, eager but unsure of what was happening.
Jerry, however, had other plans. His small body wriggled on the bench as soon as mom spoke, and he didn’t seem to care about waiting his turn. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. He leaned forward, his arms outstretched, not for the milk bottle but to be cuddled.
“Mommy!” Jerry whined, sliding off the bench and waddling over to her. He clung to her leg, looking up with those pleading eyes. “Hold me! I want to stay with you!”
Mom let out a soft sigh, though she couldn’t help but smile at her little boy’s stubbornness. “Jerry, you need to wait. It’s milk time. You can’t be cuddled all the time.” She lifted him back up onto the bench, but as soon as she stepped away, Jerry slid off again, this time making soft moaning sounds.
Janna glanced at her little brother and then back at mom. “Jerry, it’s time to drink milk, not time to cuddle. We’re supposed to take turns,” she said, trying to act like a mini mom herself. Sara, seeing all the commotion, began to fuss, a small whimper escaping her as she leaned towards her own bottle.
Mom noticed Sara’s growing impatience and decided it was best to start. “Okay, Janna, you go first. You’ve been so patient,” she said, handing her the first bottle. Janna smiled proudly and began to drink, her tiny hands gripping the bottle carefully.
Next, it was Sara’s turn. She had been so quiet, but now her small squeals filled the room. Mom handed her the second bottle, and she eagerly began drinking. Sara’s little body relaxed, and her fussing stopped, replaced by the soft sounds of her happily sucking on the bottle.
But Jerry was still up to his antics. He wasn’t interested in his milk—at least not yet. He just wanted to be in mom’s arms. “Mommy, hold me! Hold me!” he kept repeating, wrapping his arms around her legs. He didn’t care that the other two were drinking; all he wanted was to snuggle with mom.
Mom looked down at him, her heart softening. “Jerry, sweetheart, you need to drink your milk. I promise we’ll cuddle after, okay?”
Jerry pouted, his lips forming a small frown, but eventually, he gave in. With a dramatic sigh, he climbed back up onto the bench, and mom handed him the final bottle. He drank slowly, still shooting glances at mom as if to say, “I’m only doing this for you.”
Janna, having finished first, smiled at Jerry. “See? It wasn’t so bad to wait, was it?”
Jerry ignored her, focusing on his milk, but there was a sense of calm now in the room. The trio had their milk, and mom watched over them, her heart full of love for her little monkeys.
Once all the bottles were empty, Jerry slid off the bench again. But this time, instead of running to mom for a cuddle, he toddled over to his sister Sara and sat beside her, patting her head. Even the spoiled boy had his moments of sweetness.
Their mom smiled at the sight, knowing that no matter how mischievous or stubborn Jerry could be, at the end of the day, he loved his family just as much as they loved him.
