The Bear's Friendship Bench

Bernard the bear lives in a snug cave at the forest's edge, wrapped in the red knitted scarf his grandmother made, and spends his days crafting things with his large, careful paws. Watching a squirrel eat alone, a mouse sitting by herself beneath a fern, and a mole who speaks to no one, he feels a heaviness in his heart. Unsure how to help, he settles on a stump to think, and an idea takes shape: a wooden bench in the sunny clearing, sanded and hammered together, with a small sign that reads 'Friendship Bench'. This gentle tale by Ebru Mina TOMURCUK follows what happens when the bench stays empty for days and Bernard starts to doubt his idea.

Then Pip, a shy rabbit in an oversized pale blue cardigan, hops into the clearing, and Hazel the hedgehog, a traveler from beyond the forest with a green satchel and a rolled-up map, takes a seat and kindly invites him to join her. Bernard watches from behind a bush as the two begin to talk, and soon a curious squirrel and mouse creep closer. The story can be read on Onlinemasal Com.Tr, where a small, patient act of building becomes a meeting place at the heart of the forest.