The Little Otter's Letter

Little Otter lives in a cozy burrow by the river, wearing his small red neckerchief and carrying a canvas satchel filled with treasures: a smooth blue pebble, a shiny fish scale, and a crumpled map of the river. His days were once shared with a young beaver who lived around the bend, and together they built dams and told stories. But when Beaver moves far away to another bend of the river, the water seems quiet and Otter feels wistful, missing his friend very much.

One morning Otter decides to do something brave. With bark-paper and a charcoal stick he writes a short letter to Beaver, seals it with a dab of honey, and wonders who could carry it down the river. A flash of turquoise and orange brings Kingfisher, a cheerful bird with a leather letter-pouch who knows every bend and stone. She carries the letter past the old willow and the tall reeds to Beaver's lodge, and soon the two friends are exchanging news, questions about the willow and the dragonflies, small gifts, and finally stories they write for each other. This gentle tale by Aysel Banu YAVUZAL can be read on Masal İzle.