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Jackson and the Talking Monkey's Chore Chart

Jackson and the Talking Monkey's Chore Chart

Jackson woke up one morning and found a giant banana on his pillow! "Wowzers!" he shouted. "Grandma, did you leave this here?"

Grandma, who was busy flipping pancakes in the kitchen, laughed. "Why Jackson, I'd never use my good bananas for something like that! Maybe a little birdie left it for you."

Curious, Jackson peeled the banana. To his surprise, inside the peel wasn't a banana at all, but a tiny, folded map! He carefully unfolded it. The map showed a picture of a deserted island with a big red X. "An adventure!" Jackson shouted, grabbing his robot arms.

"What's this about an adventure?" Grandma asked, handing Jackson a plate of pancakes.

"Look!" Jackson showed her the map. "It must be for a treasure hunt!"

Grandma smiled. "Well, we can't let a treasure map go to waste. Let's pack a picnic and sail to this island after we do our chores!"

Jackson zoomed around the house, putting his toys away, making his bed, and even helping Grandma load the dishwasher. He was so excited about the treasure, chores seemed like a breeze!

Soon, they were sailing towards the island. When they arrived, it looked even more beautiful than the map! Palm trees swayed in the breeze, and colorful parrots flew overhead. As they stepped onto the sandy beach, a little monkey wearing a straw hat swung down from a tree.

"Ahoy there, mateys!" the monkey squawked. "Welcome to my island! You must be here for the treasure?"

Jackson's eyes widened. "You can talk? And you know about the treasure?"

The monkey chuckled. "Of course I can talk! I'm a very special monkey. And I know all about the treasure on this island. But first," the monkey pulled out a tiny chalkboard and held it up, "you have to complete my chore chart!"

Jackson and Grandma looked at the chalkboard. It had pictures of coconuts that needed collecting, seashells that needed sorting, and banana peels that needed tossing in the compost bin.

"Chores?" Jackson asked, a little disappointed.

"Aye, chores!" The monkey nodded. "This island needs to stay sparkly clean, you see."

Jackson thought about all the chores he had done that morning. He realized that helping out wasn't so bad, especially if it meant finding a treasure! So, with a smile, Jackson and his grandma got to work. They collected shiny seashells, tossed coconuts into a big pile, and even helped the monkey rake leaves.

The monkey, impressed by their hard work, pointed to a giant clam shell under a palm tree. "You did it! The treasure is all yours!"

Jackson raced over and opened the clam shell. Inside, he found a pile of beautiful, polished stones that shimmered in the sunlight.

"Wow!" Jackson exclaimed, picking up a sparkling red stone.

The monkey grinned. "The real treasure, my friend, is the feeling you get from helping others and keeping our world clean!"

Jackson realized the monkey was right. He had so much fun completing the chore chart and making the island even more beautiful! As the sun began to set, Jackson and Grandma sailed back home, their hearts full of joy and their pockets full of sparkly treasures. Jackson knew that even though the adventure was over, helping others and doing chores was something he could do every day, even in Chicago!