The
STORY
of
MONKEY

Far away, on an island, there lived Monkey. He was a happy monkey. He had a good job keeping the beach clean and watching out for pirate ships. One day he was gazing out to sea and he thought: “I’m happy now, but what about the future? What about when I’m old and weak, will I still be happy then?” And he began to worry.

As time passed, strange things began to happen. Sometimes when he woke up, someone had come into his hut at night and tied heavy objects to his arms and legs that made him tired and slow. One night someone had even come and painted some of the hairs on his head white!

And he began to worry even more.

One day, sitting on the beach, Monkey looked up at the sky and thought: “Mister Sun doesn’t change. Every day he’s the same, shining bright, always round. He doesn’t get old.” And he had an idea: “I know what, I’ll go and ask Mister Sun what his secret is!”

So he set off inland and finally he came to the place where the biggest palms grew. There was the great grandmother of all the palm trees with a trunk so high it disappeared into the sky.

Monkey looked up and began to climb.

Monkey arrived at the palace and went in. Mister Sun was seated at a table, reading. “Monkey! Good day to you,” he said. “To what do I owe the honour of this visit?” Monkey replied: “I’m happy now, but what about when I’m old and weak, will I be happy then? Every day I look up at the sky and I see that you never grow weak or old. What’s your secret?”

“Aha!” said the Sun. “In the palace gardens there is a grove of coconut trees. On them grows the Immortal Coconuts which ripen for 9,000 years and add many years of life, super strength and magic powers to the person who drinks from them.” “And may I have one of these magical coconuts please?” Monkey replied. Mister Sun grew angry! “You cheeky monkey! How dare you? These sublime nuts are for kings, gods, demons, Rockstars and other such notable persons. Not for a mere monkey! Now go home and stop pestering me!” With this, Mister Sun flared up red with rage and Monkey ran away, afraid of getting his eyebrows singed.

Outside the palace, Monkey sat down. What should he do next? Then he heard a voice behind him: “What will you be wearing to the Midsummer Ball tonight... yes we’ll be in the gardens again this year… it can get a bit chilly out there at night…” Monkey looked and saw General Hurricane talking on his phone.

So he took a siesta and when he awoke it was evening. He saw a big crowd of important, glamorous people queuing to enter the palace for the party. He crept into the line, into the middle of a group of dancing stars.

Soon he was staring up at two mean looking bouncers. They looked at him and said: “No monkeys on the list” and pushed him away.

Not to be discouraged, he looked about and noticed some Mariachis arriving and had an idea! He took out his old guitar and picked up a fallen lotus leaf that was lying nearby and put it on his head. He stepped in with the Mariachis and together they all walked inside, past the bouncers and into the palace gardens. They were brought forward in front of Mister Sun and they started to play and Monkey began to sing along but didn’t really know the words, so he made up his own. Mister Sun began to look at him strangely, but the guests began to dance wildly and in the confusion, Monkey slipped away.

The palace jailer stepped up. Monkey, full of Immortal Coconut juice, leapt down from the tree, coconuts falling all around him, and with a roar thumped his chest. The whole world shook and Skeleton Key Jailer fell to the floor in a pile of bones!

The giant Lord Potbelly entered like a walking skyscraper. Unafraid, Monkey clicked his fingers and grew so big that his head brushed the roof of the heavens. With his toe he flicked the Lord of the Giants out of the palace and over the horizon.

Next the fearsome King of the Dragons came forward. He smelt foul with scaly skin and smoke coming from his ears. Monkey took one angry look at him and rays of light shot from his eyes and burned the clothes off the King’s body! Naked and ashamed, the King of the Dragons fled with a wail.

Then Captain Lightning pulled out his flashing Golden Sword. He raised it to strike, but Monkey reached down to earth and pulled up a mountain and thrust it in front of the blow and the sword shattered into a thousand shards.

Mister Sun’s champions were defeated. No one could capture the mischievous monkey. He was now too powerful! Monkey looked around at the party and everything was completely trashed. He felt a bit embarrassed for the mess he had made. So he jumped up and flew into the sky and somersaulted three times around the earth and landed back down on his beach.

He sat back in his usual spot under the palm and he felt very happy and satisfied. He had found the Fountain of Youth! He looked up at Mister Sun shining down at him angrily. “Now I will live as long as you, and like you I will never fade or change,” he shouted! “Nothing can stop me now!” Mister Sun heard his proud words and so he picked up one of the Immortal Coconuts that lay scattered about his garden and threw it down at Monkey…

…who, lost in dreams of power and glory, never saw it coming and was knocked out cold!

And that special coconut, which Monkey planted after finding it when he woke up, grew into a big tree that soon became a big field of trees.

Monkey decided to start harvesting the juice from the nuts to share with his friends, so they too could become strong and live long, happy lives.

Soon word of his amazing drink spread far beyond the shores of his island, and so he put it into cans with his picture on and he sent it off on a ship and now everyone can drink the juice of the Immortal Coconut and feel just as wonderful as Monkey does.