The Octopus's Secret Door

In a warm, sunlit reef alive with swaying coral and darting fish, a coral-orange octopus with bright amber eyes decides to explore a part of the reef she has never seen. Beneath a rock covered in pink and purple coral, she finds a tiny door set into the reef itself, made of smooth dark stone and secured by a series of strange, intricate locks. Curious and determined, she wraps all eight arms around it and heaves, but the door stays shut.

A tiny pink shrimp named Pip, carrying a seagrass satchel, swims by and offers to help. Together they work through the locks one at a time, discovering that some need a gentle click, one a slowly turned knob, another a thin piece of coral in place of a missing key, and the last the softest touch of the octopus's smallest arm. Along the way, the impulsive octopus learns that patience and careful thinking open more than force ever can, and that a puzzle is easier and more fun when shared with a friend. This gentle underwater tale by Çınar BİBER can be read on Masalcı Baba.