“Hush, Gio and Pookie!”

OnceuponatimethereweretwolittlemonkeysnamedGioandPookiewholovedtotalk.Theytalkedandtalked,andwerealwaysmakingnoise,evenwhentheirbabybrothermonkeywastryingtosleep. MommyMonkeywouldtellthem,“Sometimesyouneedtobequiet.” ButGioandPookiewouldanswer,“Mommy,wealwaysliketotalk!”Andtheywouldkeepontalking. GioandPookiewouldeventalkwhentheyweresupposedtobenappingorgoingtosleepatnight,orevenwhenitwastimetoreadquietly. Oneday,MommyMonkeycalledhertworascallymonkeys.“GioandPookie,comehere,please.” MommyMonkeychosetwobranchesinthetree.“Gio,”shesaid,“yousithere.AndPookie,yousitthere.Wearegoingtohaveseveralminutesofquiettime.”

“What’s‘quiettime’?”GioandPookieasked.Theylikedtotalk,andquiettimesoundedliketheyweregoingtohavetostoptalking,buttheywerealsoverycuriousastowhatthistimewasfor. “Dothis,”MommyMonkeysaid.“Takeyourhandsandfoldthemtogether.CloseyourlittleeyesandthinkaboutapictureofJesus.Closeyourmouthanddon’tsayanythinguntilJesustellsyoutosaysomething.ThenyoucanrepeatwhatHetellsyoutosay.”

Thetwolittlemonkeysfoldedtheirhands,closedtheirmouths,andclosedtheireyes.Prettysoonthetwomonkeyswholovedtotalkweresittingquietly,waitingtohearwhatJesushadtosay. “IseeapictureofJesus,Mommy,”Pookiesaid. “Me,too,”Gioadded. “WhatisHetellingyou?”MommyMonkeyasked. “Jesusistellingmethatit’sokaytotalk,butthatIneedtolearntobequietsometimes,andlistenwhenyoutellmeto,”answeredPookie.

“JesustoldmethatwhenI’mquietIcanlearnnewthings,becauseIcanhearwhatothersaresaying,”addedGio.“IcanevenhearwhatHewantstotellme.” “Thankyou,Mommy,forteachingushowtobequietandlistentoJesus!”saidPookie.“Ifwehadkepttalking,weneverwouldhaveheardwhatHehadtosay.” “I’msoglad,”MommyMonkeysaid.“Nowyoutwolittlemonkeyscangoplaytogether.” GioandPookieranofftogether,handinhand,happierandwiserthanbefore.

TheEnd.

Author unknown. Illustrations by Didier Martin. Design by Christia Copeland

Published by My Wonder Studio. Copyright © 2011 by The Family International