Monkey Lyly had been buzzing with excitement for days. The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and everywhere in the village, colorful lanterns swayed, mooncakes filled the air with sweet fragrance, and children giggled while practicing their lantern parades. Lyly, too, was eager to join the celebration—but she secretly feared she wouldn’t receive a gift this year.
Her mother had been busy with chores, gathering fruits and preparing for the harvest. Lyly didn’t dare to ask for anything, even though her heart wished for a beautiful lantern like the other children had.
On the night of the festival, while others paraded with glowing stars, fish-shaped lanterns, and rabbits, Lyly sat quietly by their home, watching the moonrise. She tried to smile, telling herself, “The moon is my lantern.” But deep inside, her little heart ached.
Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps behind her.
“Lyly,” her mother called gently. Lyly turned, expecting nothing more than a kind smile. But in her mother’s hands was something glowing—delicate, crafted with care.
It was a lantern. Not just any lantern, but one shaped like a golden moon with tiny rabbits dancing around it. Handcrafted from bamboo and paper, painted with love.
“I made this for you,” her mother said softly. “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, my little moon.”
Lyly’s eyes widened in disbelief. Tears welled up—not of sadness, but overwhelming joy. She hugged the lantern gently, afraid to break it, then threw her arms around her mother.
“I thought you forgot…” Lyly whispered.
Her mother stroked her hair. “I could never forget. I was waiting for the perfect moment.”
They lit the lantern together, watching its warm light flicker under the silver moon. Lyly joined the parade late, but proudly, her lantern shining brighter than all the rest—not because it was the most beautiful, but because it carried the love of her mother.
That night, Monkey Lyly didn’t just receive a lantern. She received a memory she would cherish forever—a reminder that love, even when silent, is always there, waiting to surprise us.
