The Boy and the Fire Salamander

Nine-year-old Leo is small, wiry and full of curiosity, with messy dark brown hair and freckles across his nose. His greatest pleasure is watching wild animals, and one Saturday morning he heads into a protected forest with his father, a red backpack on his back and a worn notebook titled MY NATURE JOURNAL under his arm. Although his father reminds him to stay on the trail, Leo's hazel eyes are already scanning the leaves for a shy, rare creature he once read about in a book.

After a long, patient wait on a log, something stirs near a mossy rock: a fire salamander with glossy black skin, bright yellow blotches and stubby little legs. Leo crouches low, holds his breath and watches in silence, drawing the creature carefully and noting that it lives in damp moss and old leaves, moves very slowly and never hurries. Later he spots a second, even shyer salamander near a little stream, and his father praises the careful work he is doing. Written by Aysel Banu YAVUZAL, this gentle tale can be read on Masal İzle.