First, he ran to a muddy puddle and stared into it. His reflection blinked back at him. Riko puffed out his cheeks, then made a funny face. “Who’s that handsome monkey?” he said in a dramatic voice, posing like he was on a magazine cover. Then he stuck out his tongue and made raspberry sounds until he fell over laughing.
He grabbed a leafy twig and began swinging it around like a sword, pretending he was the mighty “Monkey King,” fighting off imaginary lizard warriors. He leapt dramatically from rock to rock, shouting, “Hi-YAH!” and tumbling into the soft grass with exaggerated groans. He paused, blinked, and then burst into giggles.
Next came the vine games. Riko found a low-hanging vine and started swinging back and forth. “Woooo-hooo!” he shouted, pretending he was flying. He let go mid-swing, flopped into a pile of leaves, and threw his arms up like a victorious gymnast landing a perfect routine.
But the best part of Riko’s solo party was the water slide. Nearby, a small, slick slope led down to the stream. Over time, Riko had carefully cleared the moss and wet leaves, making it smooth and perfect for monkey sliding. He climbed to the top, grinned big, and launched himself.
“Wheeeeeeeee!” he yelled as he zipped down and splashed into the shallow water at the bottom.
Soaked but thrilled, Riko popped up and shook his fur out wildly, looking like a fluffy puffball with arms. “Ten out of ten,” he declared to the birds watching nearby. One bird tilted its head. “No applause? Tough crowd,” Riko joked.
He grabbed some water plants and began fashioning a “wig” out of green leaves and mud. Placing it on his head, he strutted along the log like a fashion model, tossing his leafy hair and pausing to strike ridiculous poses.
Even though he was completely alone, Riko kept talking, laughing, and goofing around like he was the star of his own show. Because, in his mind, he was.
At one point, he spotted a butterfly and chased it in circles until he got dizzy and fell over. He lay on his back, arms spread wide, just smiling at the sky. “This… is the life,” he sighed.
Little did he know, someone had been watching.
Behind the bushes, a few curious young monkeys had wandered over, drawn by Riko’s wild sounds and splashes. They peeked through the leaves, giggling as they saw him sliding into the water again with a loud “CANNONBALL!”
When Riko turned around and saw the giggling faces, he froze. For a split second, he looked embarrassed—caught in his most ridiculous moment.
But then, he smiled.
“Wanna join?” he called out, spreading his arms wide. The younger monkeys looked at each other and then raced out of the bushes, hooting with joy.
By the end of the afternoon, Riko’s solo fun had turned into a troop-wide comedy show. Monkeys were sliding, posing, splashing, and copying Riko’s leaf wig fashion walk.
Turns out, a funny monkey having fun alone can start something magical.
