Monkey Kingdom Page #3

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put in some grooming time.

Soon, Kumar can sit back,

and the others come to him.

But this all means nothing

without the alpha's support.

Step three,

make up with Raja.

Kumar's opportunity arrives

in the form of

jackfruit.

Sloth bears have the best

noses in the forest,

so they always find it first.

Bad-tempered bears usually

keep monkeys away,

but jackfruit makes you

forget your place.

The sisters are quick

to remind you, though.

Because jackfruit isn't

just fruit. It's politics.

If Kumar's learned anything,

he won't steal something

out from under the alpha's

nose again.

No matter how good

that fruit looks.

Maya can only watch

as the fate of Kip's father

hangs in the balance.

Kumar makes a move,

but it's not for the fruit.

He offers his hand

in friendship.

And so, Maya's man earns

a seat at the table.

Raja will soon need

Kumar's strength on his side.

A rival group is sizing up

Castle Rock.

Lex, the leader of

this battle-hardened team.

Raja assesses the threat.

Maya moves Kip to safety.

Raja and the other males

must defend the troop

from invaders.

Branch shaking

is a full-on threat.

In the heat of the moment,

Raja leaves the high ground,

leading his troop

to the enemy.

Playing right into Lex's hands.

The home team follows,

answering Raja's call

for support.

The battle is on.

The combat drifts further

from the rock

and into the jungle.

Sensing easy victory,

the home team is drawn

even further still.

Lex is lying in wait.

The enemy is ready.

Raja's confused.

He can only see one invader.

Time for Lex's crew

to finish the job.

The home team is cornered.

Raja's troop runs for its life.

Castle Rock has a new king.

Raja is wounded.

Leaving the rock and taking

the fight to Lex

was a costly error.

His position as alpha

is on shaky ground now.

Kumar has his own battle scars.

But today, there is worse.

The troop lost

one of their own.

Maya had known this male

for years.

It's as though she

and the others understand

that this is farewell.

They haven't just lost

a friend today,

they've lost their rock castle

and the kingdom that sustained

them for generations.

Maya pushes on

as Kumar chaperones Kip.

Finally, Maya has some

protection for her son.

But the troop is vulnerable.

There's nothing to eat

or drink here,

and Lex's crew could return

to finish them off.

They must keep moving.

Remember him?

The low-born know a monitor,

even out of water,

and sound the alarm.

The nobility isn't familiar

with this creature,

because they never needed

to visit the lily pond.

For once, out in this alien

no man's land,

the commoners have the edge.

For Maya,

the lizard is nothing more

than a fleeting distraction.

With Kip in tow,

she presses on,

and the group

falls into line behind her.

The forest edge

is unfamiliar terrain.

Finally, a place to regroup.

But plover birds don't want

the monkeys near their eggs.

The sisters are on the

receiving end for once

and they do not like it.

Kumar leads Kip to cover

while Maya forges ahead.

Maya is the most equipped

for this challenge.

She knows some stuff about

looking for food

in dangerous places.

The first stop is a bust.

Maya keeps moving.

Adversity is nothing new

for this girl.

Not so for Raja.

Others take the lead now.

The sisters are bewildered.

Even Grandpa fares better.

When the troop finally enters

the urban jungle,

they are ravenous.

Using her instincts,

Maya leads them to the market.

Kumar makes the first move.

He makes it look easy.

His students watch and learn.

Maya is in the thick

of the action

while Kip stays safe above.

The sisters get an A

for effort.

Sure, there's some learning

to be done.

Progress, not perfection.

With stomachs full,

the troop can explore

whatever else the city

has to offer.

A seat for Grandpa.

A little drink from this thing.

"Oh, boy!"

"What is that?"

"It's furry,

about the size of a langur."

"Do you speak monkey?"

"Dude, what are you?"

"It likes being groomed."

Okay, maybe man's best friend

is also monkey's best friend.

"No, it's because we like to

bite each other's tails.

"Is that not a thing... Okay."

"Think he'll let me ride him?"

"Same time tomorrow?"

Our troop has sampled

city cuisine.

Kip has even met the wildlife.

All that's left

is a place to stay.

High above the palm.

Now, that's a sleeping tree.

Kumar leads them up.

The troop settles in

for the night, nice and cozy.

Hmm. Well, it's actually

not that cozy.

Okay, not at all.

What Maya and Kip wouldn't give

for their wooden branch

at home.

At least it's quiet.

"You're kidding, right?"

"It's gonna be a long night."

Nope, this won't do at all.

Castle Rock is home.

But before the troop

can win it back,

they have to build up

their reserves

for the tough fight ahead.

This will require a focused

assault on the town.

Wounds healed

and strength regained,

the troop is ready to head home

and reclaim

what's rightfully theirs.

Together, on the edge of

their territory,

they wash away the city

and relish the jungle

all around them.

The line between high-born

and low-born remains blurred.

It may not stay this way

forever, but for now,

it's enough.

Kip and his new friends

seem happy to be back.

But Maya can't relax yet.

The hardest part

of the journey lies ahead.

Kumar leads the troop home.

Maya and Kip

follow him closely.

The sisters, still humbled

from their time in the city,

trail behind them.

Raja is no longer at the front.

Kumar has Castle Rock

in his sights.

The enemy is home.

Lex senses something is wrong.

Kumar remains hidden.

Maya has left Kip at the rear

and is close behind.

The soldiers assume

their positions.

The enemy still hasn't

seen Kumar,

and the troop is nearly set.

Lex can see movement,

but can't know what's coming.

Grandpa is going in.

Kumar makes his move.

Not good for Lex.

Maya is on the front line.

Go, Grandpa!

Soon, our troop

scales Castle Rock.

Kumar lays his claim

as king of this castle.

Overpowered,

Lex and his team retreat.

Finally, the troop is home.

For Maya and the troop,

it's great to be back.

First, the jungle gym.

Yup, still good.

Then, it's time to catch up

with old friends.

And let's not forget

you-know-who.

It's pretty obvious that

he has missed them.

Now,

street smart from the town,

they collect rent

from their tenants.

"Look, we're all reasonable

forest creatures here.

"We're not gonna eat you,

"but we are gonna eat

your fruit.

"So, hand it over."

The youngsters have grown

in confidence

since their urban adventure.

Especially Kip,

whose curiosity has blossomed.

Castle Rock remains

a stronghold for our troop

as a year passes,

and another monsoon season

comes and goes.

The precious fig tree

is back in fruit.

And this time, Maya is in it.

These days, Maya enjoys a new

acceptance by the sisters.

Then again,

some things never change.

Yeah, yeah, you're still

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