The Little Elephant's Shadow

On the golden savanna, a shy little elephant named Amara loves to play but is easily startled. One morning, she follows a bouncing beetle away from her herd and notices a dark shape stretching across the grass behind her. It is her shadow, but it seems to move on its own, wiggling, stretching tall, and squashing small. Amara's heart races, and she wishes she were back with her herd, safe and warm.

Just then, a sandy meerkat named Kito pops up and introduces himself. He explains that the shadow is not scary—it has been lonely and only wants to play. Kito shows Amara how shadows speak in shapes: stretch tall to say hello, squash small to show shyness, and wiggle ears to giggle. Amara takes a deep breath and tries it, and to her delight, the shadow mimics her movements and even shapes itself into a roaring lion, a leaping gazelle, and a swaying tree. Her fear turns into wonder. This tale by Ebru Mina TOMURCUK can be read on Onlinemasal Com.Tr.