In the warm afternoon sun, Rocky, the spirited young monkey, sat on the edge of a low branch. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he spotted Jeny, the graceful pig-tailed monkey, lounging nearby. She was busy grooming her fur, completely unaware of the performance Rocky was about to put on.
Rocky leaned forward, puffed out his little chest, and opened his mouth wide, baring his tiny but sharp-looking tangs. He held the pose for a few seconds, hoping she’d notice. When Jeny didn’t even glance his way, he exaggerated the gesture, stretching his lips even more and giving a playful little hiss — not to scare her, but to make sure she saw how “tough” he could look.
Finally, Jeny glanced up, tilting her head. Her calm, unimpressed eyes made Rocky’s heart race a little. This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. He thought she’d be amazed, maybe even a bit intimidated. Instead, she just blinked and went back to grooming, as if his big show meant nothing at all.
Not ready to give up, Rocky climbed down from the branch and strutted toward her, swaying his tail dramatically. He sat right in front of her, tilted his head, and bared his teeth once again. This time, Jeny finally cracked a tiny smile — or maybe it was just a twitch from grooming too hard. Either way, Rocky took it as a victory.
Feeling proud, he hopped away, pretending he was busy with something else, but secretly glancing back to see if Jeny was watching. She wasn’t. Still, Rocky didn’t mind. In his mind, he’d shown her the best set of tangs in the forest, and that was enough to make him feel like the most confident monkey in the world.
