Lumpy’s father led the boy to their little home under a tree. It was very warm and cozy. There were soft places to sit and beds anyone could hop up and nap on. Roots from the tree came down through the roof for the little children apes to play or hang on.

Lumpy had many brothers and sisters who ran up to the boy and greeted him with hugs and big monkey kisses on his cheek. They took him by the hand and led him over to their mother, who was resting on a little bed. She was cradling something that everyone seemed excited about.

“What was it?” our hero wondered.

Lumpy’s father then went over and scooped it up, letting out a great sigh of joy, and brought it over.

“Ah, look! Look! Here he is! My new son! Here! Hold’m! Take a look for yourself!”

The boy very reluctantly put his arms out. He had never actually held a baby before. He would have asked about the right way of doing it, but it was already too late. Before he was ready, the father extended his arms and dropped the child. The boy caught him just in time. The baby had big round brown eyes and short fuzzy hair. He had the cutest, tiniest little ears, a little nose and an adorable expression of curiosity as he tried to work out why his mother’s face had suddenly changed.

“Goo gah! Goo gah!” it babbled.

“Ah, you hear that!” said the father. “He almost has his ‘ooh ahh’ down. Must o’ been practice’n! Good job, kiddo!”

Our hero’s eyes lit up and he smiled delightedly. What a charming little creature! He had always loved looking at babies, but very rarely ever got the opportunity. Animals in the wild tended to be very careful about that. They wouldn’t let you anywhere near them unless they trusted you.

“Oh, wow!” said our hero. “Look! He’s so small . . .”

“Hmm? Small? Oh, yes! Very small. But quick and sneaky! Even at that age, if you don’t keep an eye on ‘em!” answered the father. “Especially Lumpy! He was always run’n and leap’n and crawl’n off! He ran out of our whole village once! Had to wrestle a great snake to save him.”

“Really?” asked the boy. “You fought a snake?”

“Oh, yes! I had to. And gave him a good walloping, too! He never knew what hit him!”

“Oh please,” interrupted Lumpy’s mother then, with a sigh, “that snake had you so tied up, you couldn’t move. It was me who pulled you out, remember?”

“Alright!” muttered the father. “Anyways, it’s not important how I did it—ahem, I mean how we did it. The point is that he got away and we got him home safe again!”

“But you could have died,” said the boy concerned. “Snakes that size eat apes.”

It was one thing for our hero to fight a beast like that. He had weapons and training—not to mention, a fully grown wolf at his side. But one of the Brumbledumb apes? It was true that they were strong, but they weren’t warriors.

“Yes, yes! I suppose I could have,” answered the father. “But there are more important things than not dying.”

Lumpy’s mother nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I guess so,” said our hero.

“Oh, that reminds me! It’s why I brought you here. You know how you’re always helping us? Well, I’ve decided to name this one after you, in your honor! Er, the two of us, I mean.” He glanced at his wife. “The one you’re hold’n! What do ya’ say?”

The boy stood frozen and surprised. No one had ever asked him such a question before. He thought about it and then looked down to see if maybe the little one had an opinion.

“What do you think, baby?”

The apeling didn’t seem very enthusiastic. Neither did he seem very happy being held by him. What happened to his mother? Who was this imposter? The baby started to squirm and tear up. Our hero saw this and quickly returned him.

“Oh! Sorry! Here you go . . .”

“The Invisible Hand!” yelled out the father, “That will be his name! Handy, for short!”

“Andy,” said the mother correcting him.

“Ugh . . . ahem . . . alright . . . Andy then!”

No one actually knew what our hero’s real name was yet, reader. Like the “Phantom Ape,” the “Invisible Hand” was merely a nickname. Not even our hero knew his real name. He hadn’t come with one when Ava had found him as a baby. Nor had he answered to any name, except with crying. So, for a long time Ava just called him “cry baby,” and other things she’d make up as she raised him. Then, as he grew and finally emerged, crawling from their cave, other animals saw and joined in. He didn’t always like or understand the names he was called. The “Invisible Hand” was particularly peculiar. But he did always find them interesting.

“Yes, yes! Andy!” the father continued, feeling very proud of his decision.

“Sure!” said the boy.

“Who knows, maybe when he grows up, he will have your strength!”

“Yeah, maybe!”

“Which reminds me . . .” The father seemed to need a lot of reminding. “Why don’t you have any little ones yet?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” the boy answered.

“You know—babies! Kids! Why, when I was your age, I already had three!”

“Oh . . . I don’t know . . .”

The father then shuffled over and began whispering to him up close. Maybe even a little too close.

“Um . . . It’s not because of your, uh . . . little problem, is it?”

He glanced down at the boy’s body and looked concerned. The boy looked too. But he didn’t see anything.

“What problem?” he asked curiously.

“Well . . . you know . . .” said the father, trying to be as polite as possible—and not at all awkward. “Well . . . I mean . . . well, look at you! Look! Your body! You’re all skin! No hair anywhere! Except on your head!” As the father spoke, he pinched the boy on his arm, which made him jump a bit. “It gets so cold at night. I don’t know how you sleep, being like that!”

“Oh, I see . . .”

It was something the boy sometimes wondered about as well.

“Anyways,” the father continued, clearing his throat. “Ahem . . . I want you to know that it’s not a problem anymore. My sister has had’r eye on you for quite some time! And I’ve spoken to’r! And she’s said she’d be will’n to be patient of it! Come!” said the father, taking the boy by the arm. “Come! Come and see for yourself . . .”

He led him to a window. Our hero was feeling even more confused.

“Huh? What? Who? Where?”

“Shh! Look! Over there!”

He pointed outside. The boy squinted and cupped his hand over his eyes to see better.

“Look! He! He! Do you see now?”

There was a girl ape out there. An enormous one! Tall and round! And she was looking right back at him!

“He! He! Well, what do you think?”

Our hero didn’t understand what he was asking until he saw the ape girl start batting her eyelashes, giggling and waving at him—making kissy faces!

“Agh!” the boy yelled, horrified.

“Well?” said the father rubbing his hands together, getting very excited. “Well, come on! Tell me! What do you think? Pretty, ain’t she? Just look at that beard! And those whiskers! And that hairy chest! Enough to keep you both warm, if you follow my mean’n . . . He! He! He!”

“Agh!” shrieked the boy again. He tumbled back this time and tripped over a root. He fell all the way back onto his head.

“Uhhh . . . uhhh . . . ummm . . .” he squeaked as he tried to scramble back to his feet. “Uhhh . . . ummm . . . no . . . no . . . no, thank you . . .”

Lumpy’s father felt very puzzled and surprised.

“What! Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“She’ll be disappointed, you know . . .”

The boy had to catch his breath.

“That’s . . . that’s okay . . .”

“Well, alright then—if you say so.”

The father went back to the window and gave the girl ape a thumbs down. She was very disappointed indeed and ran off somewhere to cry.

“You will at least stay for dinner, though, won’t you?”

Now that was something the boy was interested in. He clamped his palms together and licked his lips. He was just about to say “yes” when suddenly an ominous voice from behind them spoke:

“Not tonight.”

The boy, the father and the whole ape family spun around, where in the corner they saw Ava. None of them knew how long she’d been sitting there listening.

“Woah!” said the ape father. “Ava, what are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack? Sneaky monkey! Well, you’re welcome to stay too of course!”

“No, thanks,” she replied coldly. “Come on, kid. We’re leaving. Now.”

She looked up and directed everyone’s attention to a window in the ceiling where dark clouds could be seen forming. It was the last day of fall and she didn’t like getting back to the cave before it was too late.

“Ho! Ho! Wow! Would you look at that! Ava is right! Yes, it looks like a winter storm will be roll’n in soon. You two best be getting home quick! Unless you want to move in with us for the winter. We got room!”

Ava turned around without even caring to answer and started walking out. But the boy didn’t want to go yet. He had worked so hard that day and wanted to rest and be with his friends, not go back to the cave. He hated winter—more than anything. The winters were particularly harsh in this forest, reader. Everything would freeze. It was almost impossible to find any food. All he could do was gather as much of it together as possible and do his best to keep it fresh before it spoiled—or try to eat as much as he could beforehand. That’s why he had a much bigger belly right now than usual. A cold shiver went down his spine as he thought about going back.

“We can stay just a little longer, can’t we?” he asked quietly with his stomach rumbling.

Ava stalled in the doorway. “No,” she answered. Then she was gone.