The Girl and the Kestrel

Maya is a quiet girl who never goes anywhere without her sketchbook and pencils in a canvas satchel. Because she can stay so still, birds seem to trust her. Her grandad Tom, in his waxed jacket and flat cap, teaches her that patience is the secret: wait and watch. One breezy morning in the meadow, a kestrel hovers above the grass with its tail fanned out, and Maya begins to draw.

After school she keeps returning to the meadow, sometimes finding the kestrel and sometimes not. She learns to stand behind the hawthorn bush, to keep perfectly still, and to notice that the bird prefers windy days. Page after page fills with careful drawings and notes about time and weather. When her teacher sees the sketchbook, she suggests showing it to a gallery, and Grandad urges Maya to send copies of her best work with a letter. Written by Çınar BİBER, this tale can be read on Masalcı Baba.