We left Mollie the Monkey inside, as she had just visited the “Monkey Spa” (also known as “the washing machine”), despite Rowan’s protests to bring her along. Almost as an afterthought, I grabbed my camera before we walked out the door. My lens and I had not seen the sun for many days. And Rowan certainly looked cute, maybe I would be lucky and he would behave as such.
As he crawled around, crunching leaves in his pudgy fingers, tasting pieces of tree bark with his drooly baby mouth, breathing the crisp air deeply when it tickled his face, I gave the shutter a click or two.
My mind returned to a beloved childhood book…
story began to unfold.
King Rowan awoke from his royal nap one afternoon, and he was ready to play!
When the little King saw Mollie's favorite toy, a wooden clothespin, laying on the castle floor, he knew that she had been kidnapped by awful-smelling, banana-growing, monkey-stealers... The Wild Things.
King Rowan felt very alone in his little castle. Mollie was his favorite monkey in all the land. He had to make a rescue plan, and fast!
All at once, the king knew what he had to do. He let out a roar and shouted so that all The Wild Things could hear him: "I'm coming to get my Mollie back! I'll do whatever it takes! Beware, Wild Things, I'll end your wild rumpus once and for all!"
The little King left the warmth and safety of his kingdom and set out to find his best friend in the wide, wide, world.
He climbed every tree.
King Rowan touched the Earth and listened to the wind. He found many beautiful things in his search. But no sign of Mollie or The Wild Things.
The brave little king scaled every tower.
Even when he was most afraid, he never faltered. King Rowan knew that Mollie would do the same for him.
As he sat at the very top of the highest tower, King Rowan began to worry that he would never find Mollie.
The sun was yawning as it began to set, and the little king began to yawn too. He was hungry. He missed his mommy. He wanted to find Mollie, but he knew in his heart, it was time to go back to his kingdom.
As King Rowan wearily approached his throne, his tired eyes fell upon a familiar face. MOLLIE!
Mollie looked at the king with her kind eyes. She said, "Never fear, King Rowan, I am safe and sound. I only went out to make peace with The Wild Things, for they have the BEST bananas, and I knew you would be hungry after your royal nap. They told me that they only like to steal monkeys because they need taste testers for each new batch of bananas. I promised them that you and I would come visit soon."
"Oh Mollie, I'm so very glad The Wild Things didn't gobble you all up!", exclaimed the king. He hugged his monkey friend with all his might.
And so began a great celebration, complete with King Rowan and Mollie's favorite snack... bananas grown from scratch by the terrible and talented Wild Things.
The End.
