The Girl and the Crane

Every autumn, a girl in a mustard-yellow raincoat waits at the edge of town for the cranes to pass overhead. With her black braids in the wind and a rolled-up map in her green backpack, she watches the grey birds with red crowns fly in a long line and wonders where they are headed. She decides to follow their migration, marking each lake, wetland and river delta where they stop to rest and eat.

As her map fills with little crane symbols, the girl learns from her teacher how much the birds depend on wetlands during their long journey. When she notices a sign saying the wetland near her town may be filled in, she begins to ask what can be done. This tale by Aysel Banu YAVUZAL follows her curiosity and quiet observation, and it can be read on Masal İzle. It is a gentle nature story for children about maps, cranes and working together.