On that day, under a gentle breeze and bright sun, a massive stone atop Blossom Mountain suddenly tumbled down, shaking both heaven and earth.
All the creatures on the mountain gathered together, watching in fear.
"What just happened? That stone has been on the summit since my grandfather's grandfather's time," trembled an old monkey with brown fur and a wrinkled face.
He squatted in a tree, lowering his head to look at a towering ancient tree nearby, hoping to find an answer. That tree had stood for over a thousand years—its exact age forgotten even by itself.
Sadly, the old tree only trembled its leaves with a gentle rustle, offering not a single word in response.
Perhaps it was too lazy to speak, perhaps it couldn't understand, or maybe it hadn't learned to talk yet.
For a long time, there was no movement at all.
The monkeys kept playing, the rabbits continued nibbling on grass, and the squirrels scampered back and forth in the trees...
It seemed as if the forest had returned to the way it used to be.
In this paradise-like place, the woods were always innocent, the animals ever forgetful—as though nothing had ever happened at all.
A golden canary landed atop the giant stone at the foot of the mountain, perching as if the stone had always been there.
"Crack—"
With a crisp sound, the canary atop the stone shuddered, its eyes bulging. It looked around in panic, but saw nothing amiss.
With a clang, a beam of golden light shot skyward, then vanished in an instant—leaving everyone and everything unscathed.
Startled, the canary flew away as the stone split in two. From the center, Simon Stone—a monkey—wobbled to his feet, looking around in fear.
All around, the creatures stared back at him in terror.
"What’s going on... I just closed the client... how did this happen...?"
Fresh from the stone, Simon Stone gazed at his hands, touched his fur, and watched a furry tail twitch behind him—then let out a hysterical scream: "What the hell—is this—?"
The forest trembled slightly, sending flocks of birds bursting into the sky.
Simon Stone sprang to his feet, stumbling through the woods, howling and wailing like a lost soul.
All the animals made way for him. Even the tiger, who could easily swallow him whole, hid away in fear.
Soon, the monkey found a deep pool, where a massive waterfall cascaded down from the mountaintop.
He stuck his head out from the side, anxiously feeling his own face. "A... a monkey?" he murmured in shock.
Suddenly recalling something, his breath quickened, but he muttered to himself, "Calm down, calm down. This must be a dream."
A dream? Then why does the scrape on my knee hurt so much?
After repeatedly gazing into the pool, the monkey began to lose control. He picked up a stone and hurled it with all his might.
Thud! Ripples spread out, quickly swallowed by the spray from the waterfall.
The sight startled the monkey.
If this is a dream, why do these sights and sounds feel so real?
In his confusion, he placed his hand on the ground, picked up another stone, and smashed it against the back of his hand.
"Ow—!"
After the agonized scream, the animals stared blankly as he rolled on the ground, clutching his bleeding hand.
"What is he doing?" a little squirrel asked the still-frightened canary.
"Just anxious, he'll be fine soon," the canary replied, glaring angrily at the Stone Monkey.
The Stone Monkey kept fussing around the deep pool, from breakfast until afternoon, until he was completely exhausted and could only lie on the ground, gazing up at the sky.
Countless animals peeked at him from every nook and cranny.
"Gurgle... gurgle..."
He was hungry... Truly, a monkey in distress—things couldn't get much worse.
He sighed helplessly, clutched his stomach, staggered to his feet, drank a few mouthfuls of water at the pool's edge, then wandered aimlessly toward the forest.
After circling the area, he quickly realized there was nothing to eat.