The Girl and the Rainbow Goat

Mia lives at the edge of a wide green meadow with her grandmother, Gran. Every morning she puts on her red rubber boots and sunny yellow raincoat, ties a ribbon in her wavy dark brown hair, and goes out to collect leaves and wonder about things. One spring day she meets a small goat with a fluffy green coat, gentle amber eyes, and a tiny brass bell that rings ting-a-ling whenever he hops. She names him Pip, and the two become friends, playing hide-and-seek among the tall grasses while Gran watches from the gate with a knowing smile.

As the seasons turn, Pip's coat changes with them. In summer he is bright yellow like a sunflower, in autumn orange as a pumpkin, and in winter sparkly white like fresh snow. Mia follows him across the meadow, wondering where the colors come from and where the old ones go. When she finally asks Pip to show her, he leads her through the trees to a hidden meadow she has never seen, where a strange and wonderful tree holds leaves of every color at once and paints the little goat with the seasons. This gentle children's tale by Ebru Mina TOMURCUK is for young readers and for anyone sharing a story at bedtime, and can be read on Onlinemasal Com.Tr.