A lion, a monkey, and a dog go on an adventure to fight evil.

The lion has a brand new yellow mop head around his neck and shoulders – it makes a very impressive mane but the monkey and the dog aren’t quite as lucky. Both are in brown tracksuits. You really can only tell them apart based on the noises coming out of their mouths – and by what the monkey imagines he can do with his tail.

Disrupting the rules of the jungle the monkey is in charge. The mission is serious.

They have to make it out of the evil dungeon (their bedroom), across the drawbridge (down the hallway) and through the door (door). Then they have to creep past the sleeping guard who is easily startled (their actual cat) before leaping through the swampy quicksand. One wrong move or choosing the cursed tipping stone and they are done for (Dad has ‘had it up to here’ with footprints mucking up the raked gravel).

After braving the northwest passage they reach the great plains of Backyardia. “Onward” shouts the monkey brandishing his soup ladle. “For the brotherhood” echoes the lion, nearly tripping on his mane as he dodges some magical jungle vines (the hose). “Woof” says the dog. Damien is really too little to understand the foe they go to slay today but they have to include him or mum gets that pinched disappointed face and dinner doesn’t taste so good.

“Boys” they hear their mum call “time to come in now”. The monkey and the lion exchange looks, they are so close, they have nearly escaped and have their enemy on the run. “BOYS” she shouts, in that tone “I won’t say it again! Time for Emily and Bella to go home, you need to come inside and wash for tea”.

The monkey hangs his head and starts heading back towards the evil castle (their house) to be imprisoned yet again. He is pretty sure the brave warrior princes in his books don’t have to come in when their mums call. The lion lets out one last roar in the direction of the enchanted forest (the hedge) and grabs the dog’s hand to halt his progress. “But Lachie” lisps the dog “Emily Eagle still has all the magic orange legos…”. So maybe Damien understood more about what the brotherhood were battling for than they realised. “I know Damo but tomorrow is another day, we will triumph… the Eagle and the Bear be warned!!” This last he yelled over his shoulder toward the giggling girls waving from the safety of their own yard.