The Basilisk's New Glasses

In the heart of the Whispering Woods lives Basil, a young basilisk with soft moss-green scales, a pale cream belly and big round amber eyes that often squint. Each morning he sets off with his little brown leather satchel to explore, yet his adventures keep going wrong: he bumps into boulders and mistakes tree branches for snakes. His family, including his tall older sister Moss, assumes he is simply clumsy, and Basil grows sad because he never means to trip over everything.

One sunny afternoon Basil visits Opal, a plump old owl who works as the forest optician. Opal tests his eyes and explains that they work hard but need a little help, then fits him with round tortoiseshell glasses. Written by Yavuz DEMİRKIRAN, this gentle tale for children beginning to read follows Basil as his embarrassment slowly turns into wonder. It suits bedtime reading and classroom discussion about kindness, family and self-acceptance, and can be read on Online Masal.