Lyly had been thinking about ice cream all afternoon. The weather was warm, the sun was shining brightly, and the freezer in the kitchen was filled with her favorite strawberry ice cream. As soon as she saw Mom preparing dinner, Lyly slowly walked into the kitchen with her biggest puppy eyes and sweetest smile.
“Mom… please…!” Lyly said softly while tugging gently on her mother’s sleeve. “Can I have ice cream before dinner today?”
Mom looked down at the adorable little monkey and laughed quietly. “No, Lyly,” she replied kindly. “You must eat your main meal first. Ice cream comes after dinner.”
But Lyly was not ready to give up so easily.
She folded her tiny hands together and continued begging dramatically. “Just one little spoon, Mom! I promise it will make me extra happy and extra strong!” Lyly even rubbed her tummy and pretended she was too weak to wait any longer.
Mom tried hard not to laugh as Lyly began making funny sad faces. The clever monkey slowly lay across the kitchen floor as if she had lost all her energy from waiting for ice cream. “I’m melting like ice cream too…” she sighed dramatically.
Dad walked into the kitchen and immediately burst into laughter at the silly scene. “What happened here?” he asked.
“Lyly wants dessert before dinner,” Mom explained while stirring the soup.
Dad smiled teasingly. “Hmm… maybe Chef Lyly should first eat vegetables before becoming Ice Cream Queen.”
Lyly quickly jumped up and ran to the table. She stared at the delicious dinner Mom had prepared—warm rice, vegetables, eggs, and soup. Although she still dreamed about strawberry ice cream, the food smelled wonderful.
Finally, Lyly made a deal with Mom. “If I finish everything, can I have two scoops later?”
Mom smiled warmly. “We’ll see how well you eat.”
Lyly immediately began eating as fast as possible. She chewed happily and proudly showed Mom her empty bowl only a few minutes later. Everyone laughed at how determined the little monkey had become.
At the end of dinner, Mom opened the freezer and handed Lyly a big bowl of strawberry ice cream. Lyly clapped excitedly and hugged her mother tightly.
That evening, the sweet little monkey learned that patience sometimes makes dessert taste even better.
