The Marshmallow Moon

In the village of Sweetbriar, where rooftops curve like gingerbread, two curious friends keep watch on the evening sky. Mira, a nine-year-old who never goes anywhere without her notebook, and Theo, a lanky boy with round glasses and a satchel full of tools and string, are waiting for something wonderful. One night it arrives: a small white moon that looks softer than the usual one, like a puff of cloud. When marshmallows begin drifting down onto the cobblestones, rooftops and flower pots, the children race out with baskets, and Mira and Theo decide they must investigate.

Working together in Theo's backyard, they build a homemade telescope from cardboard tubes, string and lenses, and what they see changes everything. Perched on the marshmallow moon is a little house, and inside it a round figure in a purple lab coat with wild white hair. When the sun grows hot and the moon starts to drip, the two friends realize it may melt completely and crash. With a rope, a sketched map and careful planning, they set out to guide it somewhere safe, climbing the hill toward a strange little building where Professor Wobble, the inventor, is waiting. This tale by Yavuz DEMİRKIRAN can be read on Online Masal.