Once upon a time, in a forest called Kishkindha, there lived two mighty monkey brothers: Vali and Sugriva. Vali was the older brother and ruled as the King of the Monkeys. Sugriva was the younger brother. He was kind and clever, always helping his brother in running the kingdom! Sugriva also had a beautiful wife named Ruma. The entire family lived happily in a grand monkey palace deep inside the forest.

But one day, trouble arrived! A terrible monster threatened their kingdom. Vali bravely chased the monster into a deep, dark cave. Before he went in, he told Sugriva, "Wait outside for me. If I don't come out, close the cave and protect our people."

Sugriva waited... and waited... and waited. No one came out. He heard terrible sounds from inside! He looked down to see blood coming out of the cave. Believing Vali had lost the battle, Sugriva sadly closed the cave entrance with a giant rock and went back home. He crowned himself as the new King of Kishkindha.

Little did Sugriva know, Vali was alive!

Vali finally defeated the monster and came out of the cave — but when he saw the entrance closed, he thought Sugriva had betrayed him! He was even more shocked to know Sugriva had made himself the new King.

Angry and hurt, Vali chased Sugriva away from the kingdom. Poor Sugriva had nowhere to go. He hid in a secret place — a mountain with giant rocks and hidden tunnels called Rishyamukha Mountain.

Why? Because Vali had been cursed: he could never set foot on that mountain, or he would lose all his powers!

Sugriva was safe but he was sad. He missed his home, his brother, and his wife Ruma, whom Vali had taken away.

One bright morning, something magical happened! Sugriva was hiding on Rishyamukha Mountain, worried and lonely. Though he had a few loyal monkeys with him, he often sat outside his cave, thinking sadly about his lost kingdom and his wife, Ruma.

One day, as Sugriva sat deep in thought, a young monkey with bright eyes and a wise smile approached him.
"Hello! My name is Hanuman," said the monkey, bowing politely. "I’ve heard about you, great Sugriva. I want to help you!"

Sugriva was surprised. "Why would you help me?" he asked.

Hanuman grinned and said, "Because you are good and just. A real king should rule the monkey kingdom — and I believe you are that king!"

From that day onward, Sugriva and Hanuman became the best of friends. Hanuman was clever, strong, and full of amazing ideas. He promised to stay by Sugriva’s side and help him get justice.

One day, two strangers, Prince Rama and his brother Lakshmana, arrived at the foot of the mountain. They were searching for Rama’s wife, Sita, who had been taken away by a wicked demon.

Sugriva was frightened at first — what if these strangers were sent by Vali? He sent Hanuman to find out.

Hanuman, as smart as ever, went to meet Rama and Lakshmana. After hearing their story, Hanuman realized that they were kind and noble.
He rushed back to Sugriva and said, "These are good people! They are heroes! We should help them."

Sugriva met Rama and told him his own sad story. Rama listened carefully and promised, "I will help you win back your kingdom and your wife. In return, you should help me find my wife once you become King."

Sugriva was grateful and promised to help Rama find Sita. But there was a tricky problem — Sugriva and Vali looked almost the same! When they fought, Rama couldn't distinguish between the two brothers. He did not know whom to help and Sugriva got thoroughly beaten by his more powerful brother.

Then, Hanuman had a brilliant idea. "Let’s put a special garland of bright flowers around Sugriva’s neck," he said. "That way, Rama will know you during the fight!"

Sugriva wore the beautiful garland, which smelled like sweet jasmine.

Feeling braver, Sugriva marched to the palace gates and challenged his brother again. Vali, strong and fierce, rushed out to fight. The two brothers clashed — jumping, swinging, rolling, and leaping high into the air! It was a wild monkey battle!

But Rama, hiding nearby, kept his eyes sharp. He saw the garland around Sugriva’s neck and shot an arrow towards Vali. The arrow struck Vali and he fell on the ground. Before closing his eyes forever, he forgave Sugriva and asked him to rule kindly.

Sugriva was sad about his brother but happy to reunite with his wife, Ruma. He became the Monkey King again and Hanuman stood proudly by his side.

Sugriva ruled Kishkindha with kindness, courage, and wisdom. He never forgot the help he received. He sent his big monkey army to search all corners of the world to find Sita.