“In ancient times, deep in the heart of the Amazonian Rainforest untouched even by mundane animal’s paw prints, there rumoured to be a realm, shrouded by ethereal mists. There, the sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, like shards of glass, glistening on the ground. There, a rich tapestry of life was formed, it flourished in the exotic bird songs and the stomping of the majestic elephants. There every single animal thrived and prospered, there was no conflict, just blissful peace.” The elder monkey would always tell us when we were younger. When night skies are the clearest, the elders would gather everyone by the fire, under the night sky, littered with stars that seem to portray the characters, whether it is an old crone or a sly fox. You can always see them in the stars. The old monkey’s tales never repeated, it was thrilling to hear sometimes myths of vicious bears and sometimes tales of the unknown world beyond the lush forest and springs they lived by.

Little monkey Zach woke to the fresh forest air, humming with the melody of wildlife. He yawned and rubbed the sleep of his eyes, then looked at himself in the pond, seeing his shining chestnut coloured fur
reflected in the clear water. “Another perfect day in the Animal Kingdom!” he exclaimed out loud then jumped down from his soft canopy.
“Hey aunt Ghazel!” he said cheerfully.

“Good morning Zach, are you ready your first day back in school?” Zach’s aunt greeted him.
The monkey felt his stomach drop to the ground.
“It’s today? Do I have to go?” Zach tried to use his cute little monkey eyes on his aunt.
The effects were diminished when he sneezed loudly.
“Yes.” Aunt Gazel replied sternly.
Zach dragged his feet across the room and changed into his school uniform. The weird red and yellow stripes make him gag and the ties came undone the second he did them. He hated it.
He sees the lush landscape and the ring of mountains and wondered

"I wonder what lies beyond our kingdom," Zach mused aloud, scratching his head thoughtfully.
Nearby, a group of sly fox friends perked up at his words. "Beyond? Why, you're talking about the great unknown, Zach!" squeaked one, its tail flicking with a plan.
Zach grimaced. "Exactly! I want to explore, see what's out there. Not attend boring school lessons.”
The squirrels exchanged glances; their eyes bright with mischief. "Well, if you're going exploring, you shouldn’t go to school, skip the lessons!" declared another squirrel, already developing a plan to humiliate Zach.
And so, with the encouragement form the fox, Zach set off on his grand adventure. He swung effortlessly from branch to branch, the forest opening up before them like a vast tapestry of green and gold.
As Zach journeyed deeper into the forest, he spotted a family of parrots—a dazzling array of reds, blues, and greens, their feathers shimmering in the sunlight. The parrots were in distress, caught in a tangle of vines that had ensnared their feathers.
"Help, we're stuck!" cried one of the parrots, dangling of the vines.
Zach's heart went out to them. "Hang on, I'll help!" he called, leaping to the branch with agility.
With nimble fingers, Zach carefully untangled the vines, freeing each parrot one by one. The parrots chirped their thanks, their eyes filled with gratitude and relief.
"You saved us!" exclaimed the eldest parrot, his feathers ruffled but his voice filled with warmth. "We thought we were stuck here forever."
Zach smiled warmly. "It's all in a day's work. Come, join us! I'm exploring outside the forest. There will be so much to see and discover."
The parrots exchanged uncertain glances, but their curiosity got the better of them. "Well, alright then! Lead the way, Zach," said the eldest parrot, his voice tinged with newfound excitement.
And so, with the addition of the parrot family to their group, Zach and his companions continued their journey through the forest. They marveled at the cascading waterfalls that shimmered like silver ribbons, and they laughed at the antics of proud peacocks showing their glossy feathers, bathing in the sun.
As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Zach felt a tug at his heart. The day had been filled with adventure and new friendships, but as he looked around at his friends—the the parrots gliding with their friends, chattering happily in their little groups and realised how worried Aunt Ghazel must be, when he didn't come home. As night approached, he wanted to go back. He wanted to see his aunt again and feel the comfort of his large canopy.
"Hey, um Gilbert(he learnt some parrots names). I was wondering if I should leave, because my Aunt will probably be worried about me. And I skipped school today. I've had a great time with all of you." Zach looked up and saw the understanding eyes of the elders and Gilbert.
"Of course, we wouldn't be complete without our own family and pack. We understand. But remember there is always a family of parrots at your service if you need any help." He winked.
"I will. Farewell, my friends" HE said dramatically and bowed.
He saw a Flowerground train and grabbed a soft lily petal before jumping onto the train and waved to his new friends and returned to his home.