Buhuki was a baby monkey. He was the only baby in the family. His mother and his father loved him very much.

When he was very young, he clung to his mother’s bosom, as they traveled. When his mother jumped from tree to tree, he held on tight. Sometimes, he fell asleep along the way.

As he grew older, he went with his father, and was carried on his shoulder. His father taught him how to jump from one tree to another, and how to hang on to the branches, to keep from falling. He had learnt it all very quickly, just like his father. His mother and father were very proud of their son. They enjoyed watching him jump so nimbly, from branch to branch.

Buhuki’s grandfather had a white beard and a moustache. Even though he was very old, he could still jump from tree to tree. He never hobbled along, on the ground. Buhuki and his grandfather went down to the river bank every evening. They climbed into the cashew tree, that leaned over the river. Buhuki’s grandfather used to tell beautiful stories, while they ate the juicy cashew fruit called “Kajupuhulan.” Buhuki loved to listen to his grandfather’s stories. He thought his stories were tastier than the juicy Kajupuhulan.

Buhuki’s grandfather had a white beard and a moustache. Even though he was very old, he could still jump from tree to tree. He never hobbled along, on the ground. Buhuki and his grandfather went down to the riverbank every evening. They climbed into the cashew-tree that bent down over the river. Buhuki’s grandfather used to tell beautiful stories, while they ate the juicy cashew apple called “(Anacardium Occidentale).” Buhuki loved to listen to his grandfather’s stories. He thought his stories were tastier than the juicy cashew apples. Chutty was a little boy, who lived nearby. He and his friends liked to watch Buhuki eating from the tree with sweet cashew apples. It made their mouths water. Sometimes Buhuki threw cashew apples in Chutty’ s backyard. Chutty and his friends picked them up. Sometimes Buhuki threw cashews, too. When the kids enjoyed them, he was very happy.

Buhuki also felt sorry for the children, because, they couldn’t climb the tree, and pick cashew apples as he did. When he was a little baby, he was very shy. But before long, he became very friendly with Chutty and his friends. When they waved to him, he waved back, while sitting on a branch of the cashew apple tree. Sometimes, Buhuki made faces at them. He twisted his mouth, squinted his eyes and grinned, showing all his teeth. It made the children laugh. And Buhuki laughed right along with them. “Huh... Huh... Huh... huh... huh... huh...” That’s how he laughed. It sounded so funny! Sometimes, the children threw bananas at Buhuki. He easily caught the bananas. Chutty and his friends loved to see how Buhuki ate the bananas, after peeling them, just as they did. How nice that baby monkey is, the children thought. How nice those kids are, Buhuki thought. But Buhuki was very frightened of their mothers and fathers. They are very wicked, he thought. When they came to the riverbank, Buhuki slipped away quietly, into the woods. Sometimes they threw flickering things, when Buhuki’s troop went to the village. They exploded with a loud noise, which scared the poor monkeys. It sounded just like thunder. “Ssssssst... Banggg! Banggggggggg!” “Mum, what are they?” Buhuki asked his mother, but she had no answer. They can make thunder without rain, thought Buhuki. “Banggg!!! Banggg!!! Banggg!!! ” It frightened Buhuki and his troop away. “Huh... Huh... Huh... huh... huh... huh...” They ran away screaming, without looking back. “These monkeys have become a nuisance,” the villagers said. “They won’t leave behind a single nut on the trees.” There are enough nuts on the trees, for all, Buhuki thought. Would it be such a loss if we ate one or two? Why are they so stingy, when their children are not? Buhuki couldn’t understand. “Man evolved from monkeys!!” Buhuki’s grandfather said one day. “Mmmm??? What does that mean?” Buhuki asked. “In other words,” Grandpa said, “man started out from monkeys!!” “How can that be?” Buhuki still couldn’t understand. “Years and years ago, the men were our close relatives,” said Grandpa. “What? Then Chutty and his friends are our relatives, aren’t they?” Buhuki asked. “Yes,” said Grandpa. “Oh, really?” Buhuki was so happy to hear that. But his little head was full of questions. “Grandpa, then why don’t they have a long tail like us?” he asked. “They lost their tails during our great-great-grandfathers’ days,” Grandpa explained to Buhuki. “But why do they walk on two feet? Why don’t they leap from tree to tree like us?” Buhuki asked. “I don’t know, Buhuki!” Grandpa was annoyed. He didn’t like Buhuki asking too many questions. But, Buhuki was so curious that he couldn’t stop. “Then, tell me, why do they wear clothes and we don’t?” His grandfather became very annoyed and shouted at Buhuki. “Buhuki! I told you once! Don’t ask me all that! Go away and play.” Buhuki was very sad that his grandfather had scolded him. “He doesn’t love me! Mhhh... mhhh... mhhh...” Buhuki’s eyes brimmed with tears. He went down to the riverbank and climbed the cashew tree. He climbed further and further out, until the branch bent down over the river. He hung upside down by his tail and tried to count the fish in the river, as he had seen Chutty and his friends do. “One... two... three...” Oh, he knew how to count. He felt so lonely. He couldn’t see anyone over at Chutty’ s house. They must have gone to school, he thought. He looked around, thinking, I wish I could eat something tasty. There is a bunch of yellow bananas near the fence. But, no! I always eat bananas. I can’t eat it today. Then what should I eat? Select cashew? Oh, no! It is too sour! Suddenly, Buhuki saw a flock of crows clamor in Chutty’ s backyard. It must be for some tasty food. Buhuki peeped through the fence. “Oh! There they are!” he cried. The crows were fluttering around the sweet jackfruit tree that was called jackfruit. “Ooops...” There was a juicy, sweet jackfruit hanging from the tree. It smelled delicious. Mmmmmm! It was so tempting, that it made Buhuki’s mouth water. The sweet juice of the jackfruit was dripping. Buhuki ran quickly up to the jackfruit tree, shooing away the crows. They flew away, as Buhuki reached the tree. Buhuki started eating the jackfruit as if he owned the tree. The crows got very angry. “It’s we, who found the jackfruit tree. Buhuki is going to eat all the jackfruit as if the tree belongs to him,” said the crows. “We should teach him a good lesson.” Before Buhuki could eat more than two or three pieces of the fruit, the crows started pecking at him. Poor Buhuki had never felt such a pain before. He screamed, clutching the jackfruit. As he clung to the jackfruit that was dangling from the tree, it broke off and fell on Buhuki’s head and he tumbled to the ground. The sweet juice and sticky sap of jackfruit dripped all over his body. The crows started pecking on his head again. “Oh, noooooo!” Buhuki ran away screaming. His head was hurting very much. “Huh... Huh... Huh... huh... huh... huh...” The crows chased Buhuki. “Crow... crow...crow... crow...” Buhuki saw a heap of cotton wool on the ground in front of Chutty’ s house. “I must go and hide inside.” Buhuki crawled into the heap of cotton wool as quickly as he could. But, as he was smeared all over with the sweet juice and sap, the cotton wool stuck all over his body. Buhuki looked like a big white ghost. The cotton wool went into his nose and mouth too. “Puh... puh... chuh...thuh... puh...” Buhuki tried to wipe it off. But it made the cotton, stick even more. He thrashed about, still trying to get free of the cotton wool. Chutty’s grandmother came out of the house, to see what was causing all the noise. When she saw Buhuki covered in white cotton, she couldn’t recognize who it was. “Oh, noooo...! There’s a ghost! There’s a ghost!” She got very scared and screamed aloud. Hearing Grandmother’s scream, the rest of the family panicked and came running out of the house. No one recognized Buhuki. He looked like a big white stranger. “Oh! That’s surely a ghost! A ghost! Ghost... ghooo... ssssst...” They ran away in all directions. Chutty’ s neighbors also ran away, screaming. Seeing everyone running away screaming, Buhuki also got frightened. He was puzzled. He didn’t know what had made them panic so much. He didn’t know that he looked strange, like a ghost. He wanted to run home into his mother’s arms. He ran behind the jackfruit tree. The crows saw Buhuki coming back. Hmm... Buhuki is trying to fool us by sticking white cotton on his body, the crows thought. “Crow... crow... crow... crow...” They chased after Buhuki again. “Oh, nooooooooooooooo...” Buhuki moaned. He ran back toward Chutty’s house, screaming. He ran behind the kitchen and hid under the pot rack. “Oh! The crows will peck at my head!” Buhuki looked around and found a big black pot to put on his head. “Ah... now I’m not scared of any crows. Let them peck at the pot as much as they want,” laughed Buhuki. Chutty and his friends came home from school and saw the strange looking creature in the kitchen. They, didn’t recognize their friend, Buhuki. They also ran away screaming. “Oh, nooooooooo, it is a ghost!” “...What’s wrong with me?” Buhuki didn’t understand. “I must run to Mum.” He was very sad and ran toward his home. Everybody who met him on the way home ran in all directions, thinking that little Buhuki was a white ghost. The whole village was frightened of the white ghost. Buhuki ran home, stumbling along the whole way. Buhuki’s grandmother, who saw the white ghost, got very frightened and ran away with her tail in the air. “Oh... no... no... nooooooooooo...” “Who is this strange one, in white, with a black hat on his head?” All his monkey uncles and aunts also got panicked. “Surely, this must be a ghost!” “Huh... Huh... Huh... huh... huh... huh...” Buhuki’s grandpa, grandma, aunts and uncles ran away, trampling all the leaves and branches. Buhuki’s mother and father ran away, too. “Oh! Why are they running away?” Buhuki didn’t understand. He was so tired of running and was very sad. When his family saw Buhuki following them, they got frightened even more and ran faster. It was like a game, with everyone chasing after one another. Buhuki ran after them as fast as he could. Poor Buhuki was so tired. He was about to cry. Buhuki shouted as loud as he could. “Oh, Mum! Don’t run away! It’s me... Buhuki!” Buhuki’s mother heard Buhuki’s faint voice, and she turned back. “Mmmmm... the voice is just like Buhuki’s. But can it be my Buhuki??” His mother stopped abruptly and thought for a while.

The others also stopped and watched. “Mum! Mum! It’s me!” Buhuki ran into his mother’s arms. “Oh! Is this my Buhuki?” Buhuki’s mother took the pot off his head and wiped his face. After examining Buhuki’s face, his mother started to laugh. And it made Buhuki laugh, too. “Oh! Buhuki is the white ghost!!” Everyone laughed together. “Huh... Huh... Huh... huh... huh... huh...he...hee...”

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