The Rabbit's Paper Crown

In the green woodland, the animals stage a play each season, and this time the rabbit is picked to play the queen. Dressed in a red cape and a yellow paper crown dotted with red and green leaf shapes, she is thrilled at first, but her delight soon grows into a wish to control every scene, every line and every song. The squirrel who wrote the script and the shy hedgehog who wanted to help are pushed aside as the rabbit insists a queen does everything alone, and her friends quietly drift to the edge of the clearing.

The owl, the wise director in his red bow tie, offers gentle warnings that a queen who does everything leaves no room for others, but the rabbit does not listen until the day of the play arrives and she stands alone on the mossy stage. Facing the empty ivy curtain and a strange ache in her chest, she starts to grasp what he meant about real queens making everyone feel important. This warm tale by Çınar BİBER about humility, teamwork and listening can be read on Masalcı Baba.