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heard a crack. She turned quickly but there was nothing to see. Despite this, EJ knew that something, or someone, was close by.



For the second time that day, EJ had the feeling that someone was watching her. She hated that feeling. She turned her head slowly from side to side, scanning the treetops around her. After a while, she saw them: two shiny black eyes, blinking quietly in the dappled sunlight. These eyes didn’t look threatening though, they looked curious, even friendly. But what did they belong to?
    Suddenly EJ had an idea. She grabbed a round-looking fruit that was hanging from an overheadbranch. Slowly and quietly, she broke it open and put a small piece in the palm of her hand. Then she stretched out her arm, stayed perfectly still and waited.
    Nothing happened but EJ could see the little eyes still looking at her. Hmmm, she thought and then said out loud, ‘Oh well, I guess I’ll eat it then.’ She put some fruit in her mouth and chewed. Not bad, and maybe her little trick would work. She took another piece of fruit and put that in her hand and held it out again. Just as she began to move it towards her mouth again a little furry arm appeared and snatched the fruit from her hand. EJ presented another piece. ‘That was nice, wasn’t it?’ she whispered softly. ‘Come down here where I can see you!’
    Four pieces of fruit later, a tiny monkey jumped lightly onto EJ’s lap and looked straight up at her. She was so cute – small with a tiny little black head and a white face. She looked as if she was wearing a mask, like a little bank robber! A little baby monkey bank robber. But what sort of monkey?
    As the monkey nibbled on the fruit, EJ eased her phone out of her pocket and snapped a photo. Within seconds, the screen displayed text about her new little friend. She was a squirrel monkey.

    â€˜So where are all your friends?’ EJ wondered aloud. The little squirrel monkey seemed to be alone, but she was still only a baby. EJ saw some nuts and offered them. The monkey seemed to like them even more than the fruit, so EJ put some extrasin her pocket. Then, the squirrel monkey suddenly leapt off EJ’s lap and jumped down. EJ peered down below after her. She saw that the monkey had landed on what looked like a bed of ferns, growing out of the side of the tree trunk a few metres below. ‘Hey!’ she called. ‘Are you telling me that’s the only way down?’
    EJ was heavier than the monkey but the ferns looked very soft. She grabbed hold of the overhead branch, dropped her legs down and put one foot on the ferns. So far, so good. She put her other foot on the ferns, then let go of the branch. Bad move.

    EJ fell straight through the bed of ferns and bounced from leafy branch to ferns to leafy branch down the length of the tree.

    Just when she thought it was getting slightly ridiculous, EJ realised she had finally reached the ground. And there was her little monkey friend, sitting on top of the bush that EJ had just landed in. The little monkey had found herself a nut and was chewing away happily.
    â€˜Thanks a lot for that—I think!’ said EJ as she picked herself up and brushed herself off. The monkey almost looked as if she was waiting for EJ—at least until she turned tail and scurried off into the rainforest.
    â€˜Hey, wait for me!’ shouted EJ. She pushed her way out of the bushes and chased the monkey through the undergrowth until they both arrived at a clearing. Except it wasn’t a natural clearing: it was more like a track, a man-made track that had been carelessly hacked through the rainforest.
    This man-made track has destroyed some of the rainforest trees, thought EJ. It’s ugly and wrong!
    It had to be something to do with SHADOW. And sure enough, nailed to one of the sawn-off tree trunks was another green arrow.
    â€˜You know, you’re a pretty useful mission buddy,’ said EJ to the little squirrel