The Girl and the Rescue Dog

Eight-year-old Maya spends the whole summer waiting to meet Pip, a gentle two-year-old dog with white and tan patches, floppy ears and a red collar with a brass tag. At the shelter she discovers that Pip cannot hear any sound at all. When she speaks, claps or calls his name, he simply watches her, and he steps back if she moves too quickly. Her first attempts to reach him do not work, yet she refuses to give up.

Remembering that dogs read our hands and faces, Maya starts teaching Pip signs in place of words: a flat hand moved downward for sit, an open palm for stay, a point for come. Progress is slow and uneven, and both of them make mistakes along the way. With daily practice, treats from her canvas pouch and careful attention to each other's expressions, trust slowly grows between them. This tale by Çınar BİBER can be read on Masalcı Baba.