Beppo : $b or, The little rose-colored monkey

In the quiet forest near a vast, ancient lake lives Beppo, a restless little monkey with a taste for mischief. At the lake’s edge rests Araba‑Babba, a blind crocodile so old that compassion from passing creatures keeps him alive, while his endless mouth invites all kinds of offerings—sometimes even stones and rusted nails. Beppo’s playful tricks amuse the crocodile, who answers with patient chuckles and gentle warnings, revealing a surprisingly calm wisdom in his centuries‑long solitude. When curiosity pushes Beppo to test the crocodile’s famed ticklish nose, the prank backfires spectacularly, and the monkey loses his tail to the creature’s sudden snap.

Shaken and ashamed, Beppo flees into the night, only to collapse in a humble pile of fodder where a mysterious voice whispers his name. Before he can gather his thoughts, he finds himself snatched, bundled into a sack, and hoisted onto the back of a braying beast. The journey that follows promises new encounters and lessons for the tiny monkey, all set against the rich, whimsical world of forest and lake.