The Monkey and the Donkey: A Friendship Tested

In a faraway forest, a clever monkey named Luke and a strong donkey named Duke were best friends. One sunny day, Luke had a mischievous idea. 'My dear Duke, let’s go to the farm at the edge of the forest!' he exclaimed. 'It's full of delicious fruits. This is our chance!' Duke hesitated, reminding Luke that the farm belonged to humans, and it might be dangerous.

Luke laughed and jumped around, full of energy. 'Don’t worry, my friend! I'm fast, and you’re strong. They won’t catch us!' Trusting his friend, Duke agreed, and together they sneaked into the farm. Luke climbed trees with ease, picking bananas and apples, tossing them down to Duke. The donkey ate happily, but then they heard a loud shout from the farmer.

'Who’s stealing my fruits?!' the farmer yelled, and Luke quickly vanished into the trees. Poor Duke, unable to move quickly, froze in place. The farmer rushed over, caught Duke, and tied him in the barn as punishment. Meanwhile, Luke escaped to the safety of the forest but felt a heavy guilt. He knew he couldn’t leave his friend behind.

That night, Luke bravely sneaked back to the farm. Quietly and carefully, he opened the barn door. 'Duke, let’s get out of here!' he whispered. Duke hurried outside but stopped to say, 'You knew this was dangerous, yet you convinced me to do it. A true friend doesn’t leave his friend behind in trouble.' Ashamed, Luke apologized sincerely, learning a lesson about friendship and loyalty. From then on, their friendship continued with more care and understanding.