The Boy and the Flying Squirrel

The Boy and the Flying Squirrel - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

Theo loved the forest behind his house. Every day after school, he ran there with his green canvas backpack bouncing on his shoulders. He loved the tall trees, the soft moss, and the quiet sounds of leaves rustling. But most of all, Theo loved to watch the animals. He always carried folded paper in his backpack, just in case he needed to draw something he saw. 1

One afternoon, Theo heard a soft scratching sound above him. He looked up and gasped. A small furry creature leaped from a high branch and spread its arms wide. A loose flap of skin stretched between its wrists and ankles like a tiny cape. It floated through the air and landed softly on another tree. Theo's big round hazel eyes grew even bigger. 'Wow!' he whispered. 2

Theo watched the squirrel glide from tree to tree. It had huge glossy black eyes and a creamy white belly. Its grey-brown fur looked soft and warm. 'You're amazing,' Theo said. The squirrel tilted its head, then leaped again, spreading its limbs wide. Theo studied every move. He noticed how the squirrel held its arms out and used its flat tail to steer. 'I want to fly too,' Theo thought. 3

The next day, Theo came back with his green canvas backpack full of paper and string. He sat on a log and watched the squirrel, who seemed to be waiting for him. 'I'll call you Pip,' Theo said. Pip chirped and glided down to a low branch. Theo took out a pencil and paper. He drew Pip's spread arms and the skin flap that caught the air. He wanted to remember exactly how it worked. 4

Theo decided to invent something that could glide like Pip. He thought about wings and sails and kites. 'I need something light and strong,' he said. He remembered the folded paper in his backpack. 'Paper!' he exclaimed. 'I can make a paper glider!' He ran home and emptied his backpack on the kitchen table. Scissors, glue, and lots of paper. He was ready to start. 5

Theo worked all evening. He folded the paper this way and that. He cut slits and made wings. He added a little tail for steering. 'This looks like Pip,' he said, holding up his first paper glider. It had a pointed nose and wide wings. He painted big black eyes on it with a marker. 'Tomorrow, we test you,' he told the glider. He set it on his desk and went to bed. 6

The next morning, Theo rushed to the forest. He held his paper glider high. 'Ready, Pip?' he called. Pip peeked from a hole in a tree. Theo threw the glider. It wobbled and spun and crashed into a bush. 'Hmm,' Theo said. 'Not quite.' He picked it up and tried again. This time it flipped and landed upside down. Pip chattered as if laughing. Theo smiled. 'I'll get it right.' 7

Theo sat down and watched Pip glide again. This time, he paid attention to the angle of Pip's arms. 'You spread your arms wide and tilt them up a little,' Theo said. He adjusted his glider's wings. He made them a bit wider and added a small weight to the nose. 'Let's try this,' he said. He threw it. The glider zoomed forward but then nosedived into the grass. 8

Theo didn't give up. He remembered how patient Pip was when gliding. Pip didn't jump and fly perfectly every time. He practiced. So Theo practiced too. He made a new glider with longer wings. He tested it. It flew a little farther. He made another with a different tail. Each time, he watched what happened and made changes. His green backpack was full of crumpled paper. 9

Days passed. Theo's pile of failed gliders grew, but so did his knowledge. 'Maybe the wings need to be curved,' he thought. He bent the paper gently. 'And the tail should be smaller.' He made careful folds. He tested again and again. Some glides were better, some worse. But Theo kept watching Pip and kept trying. He knew he was getting closer. 10

One sunny afternoon, Theo finished his best glider yet. It had wide, curved wings and a tiny tail. He painted it to look just like Pip, with big black eyes and a white belly. He held it up. 'This is it,' he said. Pip sat on a branch, watching. Theo took a deep breath. 'Please fly,' he whispered. He threw the glider as hard as he could. 11

The glider soared! It caught the wind and glided smoothly over the ferns. It flew past a tree and landed gently on a mossy log. 'It flies!' Theo shouted. Pip chirped and glided down to the glider. He sniffed it and looked at Theo. 'We did it, Pip!' Theo laughed. 'You inspired me!' Pip ran up Theo's arm and sat on his shoulder, chattering happily. 12

Theo and Pip became the best of friends. Every day after school, they met in the forest. Theo brought new gliders to test. He learned that changing the shape of the wings changed how it flew. Sometimes Pip would glide alongside the paper glider, showing Theo new tricks. Theo drew pictures of their flights in a notebook. He wrote down what worked and what didn't.