The Boy and the Animal Kingdom

One sunny morning, a curious boy named Eli notices a sparkling path he has never seen before. Following it, he reaches a wooden gate that bears a welcome sign to the Animal Kingdom. Inside, animals wear scarves and collars, chat and laugh together, and a tall old stag called Oaken greets him kindly. Yet the kingdom is troubled: mountain goats, ocean turtles and forest animals are quarrelling over the stream that flows from the peaks to the sea, and none of them feels heard.

Eli sits down with the animals and invites each community to speak in turn. Peak the mountain goat tells of drying paths and thirsty flowers, Coral the turtle describes mud clouding her ocean and dimming the coral, and a young deer explains how the forest trees rely on the same water. Patiently listening, Eli draws a plan in the dirt so the water can be shared in turns and kept clean. This gentle tale by Ebru Mina TOMURCUK can be read on Onlinemasal Com.Tr and offers a simple starting point for talking about sharing natural resources.