The Girl and the Crane

Maya lives at the edge of the wetlands, where the water shines like a mirror. Each morning she puts on her mustard yellow rain boots and green sun hat and slips out with her satchel of maps and markers to watch the birds. Her favourite is a tall crane with grey and white feathers and a bright red patch on its head, and she often wonders where it goes when it flies away. One misty morning she spots a small silver band on its leg, and when the crane lifts off, Maya decides to follow its journey on paper.

Week by week she traces the crane's path, marking a star at every shallow lake, muddy pond and grassy marsh it visits, and learning from letters sent by birdwatchers in distant towns. Her grandmother's words return to her: wetlands are like stepping stones that help travelling birds rest and eat. Maya reads about how birds use the sun, the stars and Earth's magnetic field to find their way, and she begins to see the crane as a brave explorer. This gentle introduction to bird migration and wetland habitats, written by Çınar BİBER, can be read on Masalcı Baba.