Well, here is the long overdue third installment of the epic chronicles depicting the lives of everyone's favorite monkeys! Wow, I sure do have an ego, don't I? Well, I apologize for the ego and I apologize in taking so long to get this finished. I had a day off work and I decided that I should get it finished. I hope you enjoy!

"Want to trade your mango for one of my bananas?"

"Nope."

"How about I give you a whole bunch of bananas for your mango?"

"Nope."

"I'll give you that really nice papaya I found."

"Okay!"

"You'll trade me your mango for the papaya?"

"No, I just wanted you to give it to me."

Billi was holding the prized result of his mango hunt with Chivi. Kalli had made his desire for it very clear and had been steadily increasing his offers. Billi, knowing that it would likely taste the same as any other mango, only held onto it to see how much his brother would trade.

"Will you at least let me taste it when you eat it?"

"No, I don't think so. I want this all to myself."

"You're a rotten selfish brother!" said Kalli, pushing Billi backward.

"Don't push me!" replied Billi, pushing back.

The relative peace of the treetops was soon disturbed by the sounds of two young monkeys fighting each other tooth and nail. The clawing, punching and hair pulling was soon interrupted by the arrival of Chivi.

"What in the world is this all about?" he exclaimed, pulling them apart. "Making such a scene! I don't care what the reason is. Such shameful behavior."

"Billi won't share his mango with me."

"Kalli pushed me first."

"That's because you won't share!"

"It's my mango! I don't have to share it."

"Enough! Both of you!" interrupted Chivi. "Billi, there's no reason why you shouldn't share with your brother. Kalli, just because he won't share is no reason to start a fight. I want you to apologize to each other."

"Sorry," said Billi, scowling.

"Sorry," said Kalli, sticking out his tongue.

"We'll have to work on proper apologies later," said Chivi. "For now though, I want you to look up into the branches over there." Both looked to see a small group of very young monkeys looking on.

"Why are we looking at them?" asked Billi.

"Those young ones saw everything you just did," replied Chivi. "They look up to you and when they see the kind of behavior you just showed. What kind of example are you giving them?"

"It's not like they're going to do the same thing," said Kalli.

"They won't, eh?" said Chivi. "I think I should tell you the story of a young monkey named Tomi. You might change your mind when you hear it…"

Tomi watched in awe as his older brother deftly navigated the tangle of vines above the bog. It was a testament to his skill as a vine-swinger. Only above the bog did such vines grow and his brother would swing there when his parents were elsewhere. It was forbidden, of course. The bog would suck down anything that landed in it but you didn't have to worry if you never fell out of the vines. His brother never did.

Tomi gazed longingly at the vines long after his brother left. He very much wanted to try them out. He had been practicing simple swings from tree to tree back nearer to the family tree, but that paled in comparison to what could be done here. It had been months since he'd slipped on a vine and he was confident that these ones would be no different.

Making sure no one was watching, he scampered up one of the trees and grabbed a vine. He decided to try a short swing. He wouldn't go out over the bog. He would just try a few simple tricks along the edge. He launched himself outward and laughed with glee as he sailed through the air. This was definitely better than the vines near his tree. He grabbed another vine as he swung by and changed direction. Feeling more confident, Tomi let go of the vine and grabbed another one as he sailed through the air. The momentum carried him out over the bog but he didn't care. He was having too much fun. He let go again and grabbed for the next vine. It snapped as soon as his weight hit it.

Tomi tried to grab another vine but they were all out of reach. With a sickening plop, he landed in the bog and it began to pull him down. He tried to claw his way to some vines that dangled nearby but the mud held him tightly. He screamed for help, frantically trying to clear away the mud that was now up to his chest but all that did was ensnare his arms. He continued to cry out as the mud covered his shoulder and then his neck. As it covered his mouth, he saw his brother rushing through the treetops, trying to reach him in time…

"Try as he might," said Chivi, with a pained look on his face, "his brother was unable to make it there on time. The swamp swallowed him whole."

"But that's not the same as fighting," said Kalli. "Tomi wanted to do it because it looked fun. Fighting isn't fun."

"That doesn't matter," replied Chivi. "Tomi did something wrong because he saw someone that he looked up to doing it. He thought it was okay. If you two keep fighting, the younger monkeys will be more inclined to do the same when they disagree about something."

Kalli rolled his eyes and scampered off.

"I don't think he likes your stories," said Billi.

"I don't think you like them either," replied Chivi, raising his eyebrow. "Am I right?"

"Well… no, not really," said Billi. "They're always about someone dying."

"I know these stories are not pleasant to listen to," said Chivi, "but the most important lessons aren't learned from happy endings."

"I suppose…" replied Billi.

"Your brother may be having more fun by not listening to me," said Chivi, "but you will have more to gain in the long run. Fun disappears the moment after it's found. Wisdom will last you the rest of your days."