Our storybook consists of stories written by our students inspired by the heroes of the books they read within the scope of the Mythology project.

Congratulations to all our students who participated in the story writing activity.

Preview audio:

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BAHAR ÇKL-Story Competition Winner

WHISPERS OF THE ETERNAL LIGHTS

Defne Kaman was sitting at her desk, looking at the screen of her laptop. She was studying the story she had been following for days. On the screen there were pictures from Hasankeyf. It is a small town in Batman. Strange lights rising into the sky, mysterious marks in the old ruins, villagers holding torches and praying. A week ago, her editor, Mr. Levent, sent her an email about this. He told her that these lights appeared every night from the ruins of an ancient temple. The email also said that villagers were dreaming of old Turkish heroes, animals were acting strangely, and the weather was . At the end of the email, Mr. Levent wrote: "This story is really important for us. We don’t have clear information yet but one thing is sure... This is more than just a local legend. Go to Hasankeyf and find out the truth. If we can solve this mystery, our newspaper will be famous. I trust you." Defne loved supernatural stories so she quickly accepted the job. The next morning, she packed her suitcase and took the first flight to Hasankeyf. She walked through the small streets, writing notes in her notebook as she went to the town square. The town square was simple.

The town square consisted of a few shops and cafes around a small fountain. The townspeople gathered in the square, whispering rumours about the lights rising into the sky. Defne caught a random sentence in the hum of the crowd. ‘Mother Umay is warning us.’ An old woman was saying the same thing once more, as if she was tired of repeating it over and over again. Defne realised at that moment that she had embarked on an adventure beyond her identity as a journalist. The ancient ruins of Hasankeyf were a labyrinth full of secrets waiting for her. It was a good idea to ask questions to the locals to learn the secrets behind these supernatural events. In a corner of the square, an old man sat slowly pulling a rosary beads in his hand. Defne approached him and said ‘Hello!’, softening her voice. Then she continued, ‘I'm Defne Kaman, I'm a journalist. I've heard a lot about these lights. Would you like to tell me about them?’ The old man took a deep breath and began to explain. ‘These are not simple lights, my daughter. We have been living here in this land for many years. But we've never seen anything like this. The night sky suddenly lit up, as if the sun had risen. But those lights...They were different. They appeared suddenly and disappeared just as suddenly. No one could make sense of this phenomenon, but the lights continued to rise into the sky every night. Defne listened carefully to the old man's words and took notes. The man took a short breath and continued. ‘Even our dreams have been different for a week. We talk to our old heroes in our dreams.That's why they claim those lights are warnings from Mother Umay. Mother Umay, my daughter... She is a legend of ancient times. I have a different belief. We believe in God. But these lights we see are something else. These lights we see are not the work of Mother Umay, they are the work of Allah. Everything that happens by His will has a wisdom, but sometimes we cannot see it.’ Defne asked another question to the old man. ‘What about animals? I also heard some things, they exhibit different behaviours.’The more they see us fussing, the more they realise that something is wrong. At night, the cows and sheep shout non-stop.’

The old man finished his words and remained silent for a while, then added. ‘Let me ask you something, my daughter,’ he said, curiosity in his voice. ‘Do you have a place to stay here? There are no hostels or hotels in this town. It would be hard to find a place.Defne nodded slightly and said, ‘I haven't found a place yet, but I thought the people in town would help.’ The old man smiled and said, ‘Then you can stay at my house. Not everyone has a place to host guests.’ Defne thought for a while and accepted this kind man's offer. The old man pointed to a place and said, ‘Do you see that river? Here is my house on the bank of the river. There is only my house on this bank. Come when you have finished your work and are tired. My door is always open. I have lived in this town for 60 years, I have never locked my door even once. Theft or anything else bad does not happen here, we look out for each other.’ Defne closed the cover of her notebook, thanked the man and walked away. The old man's words confused Defne's mind. His words were very deep and meaningful. But Defne believed that these strange events were not just a sign, but there might be a supernatural explanation. Defne took a few steps back and looked towards the sky. It was getting dark, the lights were rising as they had been for a week. The truth behind those lights was perhaps much more than a legend.
As the lights rose, some of the townspeople retreated into their houses in fear, closing their curtains tightly and locking their doors. On the other side of the square, near the river, a group of people formed a circle with torches, closed their eyes, bowed their heads slightly, and prayed by repeating some unintelligible words on their lips.While Defne was watching them with a mixture of fear and curiosity, she noticed that the lights were getting stronger in the sky.While thinking about how to solve this event, the old man's words came to her mind.

‘Even our dreams have been different for a week. We talk to our old heroes in our dreams.’ As these words echoed in Defne's head, something came to her mind. If the dreams were a door through which the old heroes would show her a way? Maybe she had to contact those heroes somehow.Defne crossed the town square and hurried towards the old house by the river. She thought the old man was asleep, so she went in quietly. When she entered, she found a note taped to the wall. She took the note in her hand and started to read it:

‘I've prepared the room on the right for you, make yourself comfortable.’

The room was prepared in a very simple but cosy way; there was a bed, an old table, a chair next to it and a small lamp. He lay down on the bed, switched off the night lamp and waited to fall asleep. Defne had no difficulty in falling asleep because of the tiredness of the day. When he closed his eyes, he suddenly found himself in a different world. In a foggy, dim light, she was walking in a temple made of old stones. The walls of the temple were worn out over time, but still standing.

Around him, a strange sound echoed from far away; it was as if music was being heard from far away. When she moved towards the sound, an old woman in traditional Turkish clothes with an embroidered veil on her head appeared in front of her.Defne opened her eyes with the effect of the dream. She was disappointed. She thought she would find the answer to all these oddities in her dream, but this dream had put Defne into a bigger puzzle. Mother Umay's words echoed in her mind. Although she could not find the answer she was looking for, what she had to do was to go to the temple as Mother Umay said in her dream. She had to follow the lights and find the truth.She slowly left his room and looked out over the townscape. The lights were still rising into the sky. The sun still had not risen. He walked along the path beside the river and went deeper into the forest. As time passed, the lights continued to shine in the sky. Finally he reached the temple. When he entered, he realised that the temple was the same as the one he had seen in his dream. The same walls, the same dim light. He felt he had to go downstairs in a way he could not understand.

Every corner of the temple was fascinating. Stone carvings, engravings on the ceiling... This place was almost a work of art. While examining the stone carvings on the edge of the staircase, he realised something.The sun had yet to rise. She followed the path along the river, deeper into the forest. As time passed, the lights continued to glow in the sky. Finally, she reached the temple.

The moment she entered, she realized, it was the same as in her dream. The same walls, the same mysterious atmosphere... She felt that she needed to go deeper. The temple was beautiful. The stone carvings, the high ceilings... It was like a masterpiece. Then she noticed something.

A small stream of water was running through the temple. It seemed to flow beneath the whole town. Deep inside the ruins, she found an underground water source. The water had glowing minerals. At certain times, the steam from the water mixed with the moonlight. Creating the mysterious lights in the sky.So, was this just a natural event? Or was there something more?

Defne touched the stone carvings. She had discovered the secret of the lights, but something still felt incomplete. She had solved the mystery of the lights, but what about the dream? The temple in her vision was exactly like this one. Could Umay Ana have truly contacted her? Or was it all just a coincidence?

NATALIA-Story Competition Runner-up

Mermaid who didn’t want to save Warsaw

Once upon a time, in the depths of the Vistula River there lived a beautiful mermaid. She swam from the seas to the rivers with her sister who stayed in Copenhagen. The mermaid grew up in the depths of the sea, so she was used to a quiet and peaceful environment. She lived in harmony with nature, never had contact with pirates, fishermen and other people combing the seas.

How great was her surprise when after so many years spent in the depths of the Vistula River, living a slow and peaceful life, the mermaid noticed that she was not alone. Strange creatures had settled on the outskirts of the Vistula River. The mermaid had heard of them before, two arms, two legs, behavior similar to animals, but other animals relied on instincts. When they had to eat, they hunted, reproduced, and came to the river for water. However, these creatures had different habits, they feasted, made various loud noises, and their habitat was much larger than the one the mermaid was used to. The mermaid decided to find out who these creatures were and what they were doing by her river.

She began to question other animals, first going to the fish.

"Why do they make such strange noises?" she asked.

"They say they communicate like that," the fish replied. "They croak like frogs," they added.

The mermaid decided to learn the language of these creatures. She started with other land animals because she thought their language would be similar to theirs. It quickly turned out that the language of the two-legged creatures was completely different from the ways of communicating with the animals she knew. She learned that these creatures were called people.

Desperate, she decided to sit on the shore and listen to herself, memorize all the notes, the sounds they made. Spending so much time in the company of these creatures, she understood what the effects were on the environment. It annoyed her that they caught more fish than they needed, built bridges bigger than Beaver dams and made noise, sailed with boats on the river. So the mermaid decided to prevent this. Every day when people went out to hunt, she sat down and watched to find the best moment to attack. When she finally understood that it was best to attack right after sailing because then no fish were killed yet, she began her preparations.

She decided that it would be easiest for her to destroy boats with her tail.

One day when people went out hunting at dawn, it swam up from below and with one big slap of its tail made a hole in the boat. People, however, did not care about this single event and went out fishing as every day. The mermaid thought that her crime would scare people, but it did not happen, but she decided that she would not give up, so with each hunt she destroyed other boats. The fishermen finally began to suspect that maybe something was swimming in the rivers, but no one was brave enough to notice what was happening there.

On land, rumors could be heard about a mysterious creature from the water, but not everyone had the courage to believe this story, the hunts did not stop, but their frequency was reduced. The mermaid, tired of her attempts, stopped destroying the boats, when other animals asked why she did it, she said that people were too stubborn and did not pay attention to her attempts.

One day the mermaid woke up because the light reaching the water was covered by it, she was surprised, people usually fish at other times, when she opened her eyes she noticed that there were a lot of boats above her that did not resemble the ones that the nearby people used, the mermaid quickly realized that something was wrong, bangs could be heard above the surface and various beams and pieces of houses were falling into the water, the mermaid was devastated by this situation, her peace had long been disturbed by the nearby settlement, but now she had no chance for a peaceful life, the mermaid decided to check what was going on, when she hung above the surface she realized that the settlements had been attacked by an enemy from above the waters of the Vistula River.

Seeing that the enemy army had only boats, he decided to take matters into his own hands and began attacking the enemy's boats, sinking them. However, she was noticed by the nearby inhabitants, who were frightened at first, hailed her as their saviour and decided to stop hunting. They named their settlement Warsaw, a name similar to the mermaid's name.

Many years later the city of Warsaw came into existence and a monument to the little mermaid stands on the banks of the Vistula River.

Emrah MYL-Story Contest Third Place

THE NOVICE AND THE TRAGIC SHAMAN’S CARNATION

"I choose which soil my hoe will dig, I choose that resilient seed, it is not only the Mighty Mother Nature that nourishes that barley, but also my sweat and dedication that flow even in the cold, just like the barley I plant or a revolution that begins, the direction of my actions is my will, whether towards light or darkness." So said the Altay Turk in the novel Umay Bayülgen was reading. Bayülgen had quite liked this shaman farmer’s words; that’s why she had underlined them with an indelible pen. While she continued reading her novel, the phone on the table started ringing. She got up from her armchair and picked up the phone; it was Commissioner Ümit Kaman calling. Bayülgen, thinking he was calling to ask about her well-being, answered the phone. The commissioner began to speak: -Av Nine, where are you, are you okay? -The commissioner’s tone was more interrogative than inquiring about her well-being.-I’m fine, I’m at home, my child, why did you ask where I am?-Oh, don’t ask, trouble has come to Istanbul, everyone at the station is talking about it, a patient has escaped from Bakırköy Mental Hospital, we looked at his file, his name is Rauf Rahim, twenty-six years old, advanced OCD, PTSD, social anxiety disorder and anger management issues, so as you can understand, the guy is a complete clinical case,two years ago he also stabbed a hospital employee, he’s very dangerous, you need to be careful.-My child, thank you for warning me, but there’s no need to worry, be hopeful like your name, the man will surely be found.-Let me tell you the reason for my worry, this guy is wearing

the clothes of shaman sorcerers.-What, how did this happen, where did he find the clothes? -Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to explain, now let’s get to the main Kamanlık t. -In oradition, there is healing through love for humans, such a man cannot be a shaman.-You’re right, but it happens, anyway, please, Umay Nine, for the love of Hz. Ali, be careful, I’ll come to you during the day.-Okay, Ümit my child, you be careful too.Ümit commissioner said “Alright,” and hung up the phone The woman was quite astonished by what she had heard. Considering that she lived peacefully and calmly in a two-story detached house in the Kalamış neighborhood of Kadıköy, being in such a situation seemed tragicomic to her; she was trying to remember someone named Rauf and was also angry at this man, whom she defined as a “fake shaman,” for tarnishing shamanism. Bayülgen was alone at home, but she wasn’t uneasy; instead, she was deep in thought about the matter. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of the glass door opening to the garden, she stood up, for the first time in a long while she tasted the feeling of fear, she quickly walked from the living room to the kitchen and saw him, the moment she saw him, she was seized by great horror, he was the embodiment of brutality, like a work of art, as if he were a ruthless antagonist character

from cult productions, there is a moment when the body freezes and becomes unable to move in the face of the auditory and visual sensations perceived by the mind, it was that terrifying sensation that paralyzed the body, it was more than a sensation, it was Rauf Rahim. He was hooded, wearing a brown kaftan stained with blood just like his face, with tassels hanging from it, and on his back was a bag similar in color to the kaftan, the kaftan was covered with symbols related to shamanism, and tied to his waist was a black carnation, with a bloody knife in his hand, he smiled naticat Bayülgen and asked: remember me, Ms. Bayülgen?point, this man used to live near your address four years ago, this fa shaman might know you and know that you’re interested in shamanism, so he might be trying to find yourBayülgen remembered being this scared for the first time; her throat was pounding as if her heart was in it, even though she was terrified, she tried not to show it, from the man’s face, she remembered who he was and took a deep breath:-You, the polite young man who asked for herbal teas for yourself and your mother.-Bravo! You guessed correctly, I am the delicate young man living with his delicate mother who is a spiritual healer, if there is any trace of that delicacy left.Rauf paused for a moment, placed his knife on the kitchen counter, smiled sadly, and then continued speaking:-By the way, you don’t need to be afraid of me, I didn’t come to harm you, we can have short and fruitful conversations like in the old days, my purpose is to find a companion who will be a soul to me on my

path of virtue supported by Shaman and Stoic teachings, you know that shamans and kaman enter trances to expel evil spirits for a peaceful life, thus providing peace, well, I have brought an innovation to this, the blood on my face and clothes is not a symbol of cruelty but rather a symbol of mercy, the blood of the oppressor is mercy to the oppressed. -My son, have you gone mad! Where in shamanism or Stoicism is there bloodshed, what is this about being on the path of goodness and spilling blood, if we shed blood, what difference is there between us and them, what kind of contradiction is this? Bayülgen finished speaking and then swallowed.-Oh for the love of Umay Ana what is it, if we shed blood we won’t be different from them, stop this nonsense, stop this rose-tinted view, even revolutions that bring light to humanity are written in blood, this is the reality of life, this is a war between conscientious thinkers and cruel thinkers, you cannot turn a cruel thinker to goodness with virtuous advice because he has already thought about it, because he lacks conscience, as for the fools, they are already slave-minded, you can pull them wherever you want, speaking of goodness, how can you be so sure about what goodness is, do we know what goodness means that we talk about it, many of us talk about goodness but never think about what it really means, we don’t delve deep, I ask you, is goodness about helping a few poor people to silence our conscience, or is it about not engaging in evil out of fear of gods whose existence is uncertain, what about the tyrant rulers in suits who never stop talking about goodness and the religious leaders who are their accomplices, are

they on the path of goodness, let’s think of someone who is a fairy of goodness at best, intelligence and conscience, which are both a blessing and a curse, were given to them without their choice, so as you can see, goodness is not that innocent –he continued with a bitter acceptance– but still, we have to cling to something to live, that’s why I cling to the ideal of virtue nourished by shamanism, that’s the reason for my fanaticism.Bayülgen was listening to him calmly, as if there wasn’t a bloody madman in front of her. fraid of me, I didn’t come to harm you, we can have short and fruitful conversations like in the old days, my purpose is to find a companion who will be a soul to me on my path of virtue supported by Shaman and Stoic teachings, you know that shamans and kaman enter trances to expel evil spirits for a peaceful life, thus providing peace, well, I have brought an innovation to this, the blood on my face and clothes is not a symbol of cruelty but rather a symbol of mercy, the blood of the oppressor is mercy to the oppressed-You defend yourself well, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re contradicting the teachings you’ve adopted.-No, no, this is not a contradiction but rather a blending, an innovation, yes, the representatives of these teachings would oppose me, but if they could feel what I feel for just a few minutes, they would understand me.

-My child, what happened to you that you became like this, what made you, who were full of compassion, go so mad as to see bloodshed as normal? Rauf repeated his sad smile “long story, very long story” saying and turned around, started pacing in the kitchen, then pausedand clothes is not a symbol of cruelty but rather a symbol of mercy, the blood of the oppressor is mercy to the oppressed-You defend yourself well, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re contradicting the teachings you’ve adopted.ut the tyrant rulers in suits who never stop talking about goodness and the religious leaders who are their accomplices, are: e you asked, I’ll tell you briefly, once upon a time I lived with an angel who was a monument of beauty, that angel was my mother, despite the mockery of fools and my psychological problems, I tried to be happy, until that dawn, my mother had forgotten to water the white carnations, so we had returned to the garden, right before my eyes (Rauf’s voice was trembling, he turned to Bayülgen, his face a mixture of anger and sorrow, and he opened his mouth as if he were a predatory animal, continuing to speak)-Right before my eyes they murdered my mother! They showed no mercy! Two sadistic excuses for human beings killed my mother for their own pleasure, those scoundrels

mocked me and laughed accomplices, are: –Rauf’s eyes filled with tears, and it was evident from Bayülgen’s face that she was saddened– their faces were masked but I recognized them from their voices, they had passed by here a few times, I fainted during the incident, when I opened my eyes I was at the police station, I was like the dead, I couldn’t even take care of my basic needs, after the procedures, the doctors, considering my psychological history, recommended that I be admitted to a mental hospital, a year later, as my treatment progressed, I was told that I needed to meet with a chief commissioner from Kadıköy Police, the commissioner told me the truth, the killers were members of the wealthy Sürmeli family, and Istanbul Police Chief Sabahattin Aksakal was running a secret illegal trade network, because of his ties with this family, he covered up this sadistic murder, and the police under him didn’t even record the incident in the files, my world collapsed for the second time, in my first argument with the staff I had an anger outburst and injured someone, so I was placed under supervision, through manipulation I convinced them that I had recovered, and thus regained my patient rights, in the following period, as I educated myself on Shaman and Stoic teachings, I made plans with Chief Commissioner Şeref, now this had turned from a personal matter into a cause, I learned many things, from the city’s camera layout to the criminal structure of the police, this organization with at least two hundred officers involved needed to be dismantled, after two years of

neglect, manipulations, and assistance, I escaped from the hospital tonight, I knew where to go first, I knew the address of those villains, I killed them by slitting their throats while they slept, and I took great pleasure in it –Rauf’s eyes bulged as he spoke of his pleasure, and his smile made Bayülgen tremble with fear– the blood on me belongs to them, after that I came here for companionship, and as you can see I’m with you.Bayülgen was greatly shocked to learn that a sadistic murder had been committed just a few streets away from her house and that it had been covered up, she understood the feelings of the aggrieved young man and the reason for that black carnation, she didn’t know what to say, Bayülgen “My child, you’ve been through terrible things, but the path you’re taking is wrong” while saying, a voice that would blow a wind of tension through the kitchen was heard:

-Police, surrender! The arrival of the voice and its owner entering the kitchen happened simultaneously, the voice belonged to Commissioner Ümit Kaman, who, in his uniform, pointed his gun at Rauf with dignity and seriousness, the commissioner’s sudden appearance surprised both of them, the commissioner began speaking excitedly:-I listened to you from the living room, I understand what you’ve been through, but as Umay Nine said, this is not the right way, I promise you I will do everything in my power to dismantle this despicable structure, I will report it to the Ministry of Interior, and I will also work for you to get a reduction for good behavior, just surrender!

-No, never, what do you take me for, “damn it I went through bad things so I became bad” saying classic movie character, I have embraced a cause, I won’t stop until I’ve spilled the blood of everyone involved in this, even if I know it’s impossible I will keep going, and as a shaman I will cleanse the evil spirits.-Rauf, you’re acting foolishly, a few tastes of revenge won’t satisfy you, what will satisfy you is justice. -What justice are you talking about, being detained and released after a few days, is that your justice, huh, this place is a kingdom of corruption and lawlessness, nothing happens to the criminals here, if we try to seek justice they’ll silence us all, even kill us if necessary! Ümit Commissioner took a deep breath: -I know you’re right, unfortunately justice doesn’t work well in our country, but I promise you this time it will be different, we’ll tell the whole media about this, it will shake everywhere, the Sürmeli family, Aksakal and his minions will be punished. Bayülgen intervened to persuade: -My child, I have a granddaughter named Defne, she’s a journalist who fights against injustices, she and her colleagues will stand by you and publicize this incident. Ümit Commissioner also agreed with Bayülgen’s words: -Yes, as Umay Nine said, we will all be on your side, look, listen to me, the woman you connected with and deceived, then knocked out… -That idiot woman? -What kind of man are you, that woman is crying nonstop because of her love for you, she’s disappointed because she was

deceived, what kind of path of virtue is this, you’re hurting the people around you, don’t you realize that! Rauf’s face showed a look of shame; he felt regret, as the argument continued, another voice that heightened the tension was heard:ily, and Istanbul Police Chief Sabahattin Aksakal was running a secret illegal trade network, because of his ties with this family, he covered up this sadistic murder, and the police under him didn’t even record the incident in the files, my world collapsed for the second time, in my first argument with the staff I had an anger outburst and injured someone, so I was placed under supervision, through manipulation I convinced them that I had recovered, and thus regained my patient rights, in the following period, as I educated myself on Shaman and Stoic teachings, I made plans with Chief Commissioner Şeref, now this had turned from a personal matter into a cause, I learned many things, from the city’s camera layout to the criminal structure of the police, this organization with at least two hundred officers involved needed to be dismantled, after two years of neglect, manipulations, and assistance, I escaped from the hospital tonight, I knew where to go first, I knew the address of those villains, I killed them by slitting their throats while they slept, and I took great pleasure in it –Rauf’s eyes bulged as he spoke of his pleasure, and his smile made Bayülgen tremble with fear– the blood on me belongs to them, after that I came here for companionship, and as you can see I’m with you.Bayülgen was greatly shocked to learn that a sadistic murder had been

committed just a few streets away from her house and that it had been covered up, she understood the feelings of the aggrieved young man and the reason for that black carnation, she didn’t know what to say, Bayülgen “My child, you’ve been through terrible things, but the path you’re taking is wrong” while saying, a voice that would blow a wind of tension through the kitchen was heard:

-Ümit Commissioner, lower your weapon immediately, I am Chief Commissioner Şeref Mühürdaroğlu from Kadıköy Police. Şeref Commissioner was in civilian clothes, holding his gun behind Ümit Commissioner and pointing it at him, Ümit Commissioner remained calm: -Chief Commissioner, you know very well that you won’t pull the trigger, but I can, I understand your intention, but this is not the right way, do what your profession demands of you! Şeref Commissioner grimaced, unable to respond, and looked at Rauf: -Despite me telling you countless times, why did you come here, look at the situation you’ve put us in! -I’m doing what I have to do, but you parasites don’t understand that! -Rauf, listen to me, you’ve taken your revenge, leave the rest to us, Ümit Commissioner is right, you need to surrender, you’re ill, you need treatment! Rauf was baring his teeth, his eyes wide open like saucers: -I won’t turn back from my path, Şeref, either you’ll let him shoot me and abandon our cause, or you’ll shoot him and stand by the cause.

After these words, a profound silence fell over the kitchen, everyone was on edge, Bayülgen had her hand over her mouth, waiting, and the commissioners didn’t fire their guns. -Since neither of you is pulling the trigger, then I’lmake it easier for you. Rauf took a step towards Ümit Commissioner: -Rauf, stay back, don’t get yourself shot! Rauf took another step: -I told you to stop! And another step, the ears of those in the kitchen rang, he collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, it was Rauf screaming, he had been shot in the leg, he was like a painting of dark emotions: anger, hatred, sorrow, pain—his face held many dark feelings, Bayülgen’s eyes filled with tears, she pitied him, Şeref Commissioner approached Rauf to help, Rauf refused the help, pushing him away, trying to speak with a wheezing voice: -Leave me! Leave me, get out, traitor, get out! Frauds, you’re all frauds because you’re deceiving yourselves, you know what I’m saying is true, there is no peace in this world, especially in this country, even if Aksakal is punished, other structures will continue to exist, and as long as you don’t rebel, this system won’t end, IT WON’T END!!! Bayülgen and the commissioners looked at him with pity, and his words had etched themselves into their minds, they would never forget this moment, after what happened, Rauf was taken to the hospital.

The police had taken statements from Bayülgen and the commissioners, despite all the hatred he had spilled, Rauf had not betrayed Şeref Commissioner, but it would eventually be learned that Şeref was involved, Aksakal’s criminal structure had been secretly reported to the Ministry, and many public prosecutors were assigned to the investigation, with the help of Defne and her colleagues, the incident was covered by the media and became the country’s agenda, surprisingly, Aksakal was removed from his position and arrested, many suspects from the Sürmeli family and state officials were being caught, and the organization was being dismantled, a week after the event, Bayülgen, Ümit Commissioner, Şeref Commissioner and Defne met at a café in Kadıköy, everyone was silent, Bayülgen and the two commissioners were lost in deep thought with somber faces, Defne stood up with a smile:-If you like, I’ll place the orders. After getting approval, she went to the counter, Şeref Commissioner also said: -With your permission, I’ll go to the restroom, and left the table. Ümit Commissioner and Bayülgen were left alone, both were silent. Ümit raised his head, looking at Bayülgen, he uttered those profound words with a poetic tone: -The Altay Turk was right, but he forgot a few things, Siberia is cold, very cold, sometimes even if the barley is resilient, it can’t withstand it and freezes, even if it doesn’t freeze, then the black crows swarm over it and perhaps devour it, was it the farmer’s fault that the barley was wasted, or was it the shaman’s fault that he sank into darkness, no, it wasn’t, IT WASN’T.

Bayülgen looked at him in astonishment, unable to say anything, they both looked at each other, neither knowing when this world order would collapse or when people would reach the light, EITHER ONE DAY OR NEVER.

RANA VFL

Defne and the Lost Turtle

Defne grew up surrounded by nature. Thanks to her grandmother, Umay Bayülgen, she had learned to respect the earth, to see animals, trees, soil, and water as living friends. From a young age, she listened to the stories nature whispered to her. But one summer day, she experienced something that would teach her an unforgettable lesson.

That summer, Defne’s family decided to stay for a while in a small coastal town. Their house had a large backyard, and at the edge of the yard, a small stream flowed through the reeds. Every day, Defne spent hours in the garden, smelling the flowers and observing tiny insects on the ground. But that day, she found something completely different—a small, greenish-brown turtle!

Excited, Defne crouched down and carefully examined the little creature. The turtle was motionless, tucked safely inside its shell. Defne gently picked it up, holding it close to her face. The tiny turtle hesitantly peeked out with its small, dark eyes.

Just then, Umay Bayülgen stepped into the garden. When she saw the turtle in Defne’s hands, she smiled.

"Where did you find it?” she asked.

“Over there, in the bushes,” Defne said, her eyes shining. “I think it’s lost.”

Umay knelt beside her granddaughter and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe it’s not lost,” she said. “Did you know that turtles are very good at finding their way home? If you take it somewhere else, you might actually confuse it.”

Defne hesitated. The idea that the turtle wasn’t lost felt strange to her. She had wanted to keep it, to take care of it. But her grandmother’s words made her think.

“Then what should I do if I want to help it?” she asked.

Umay smiled. “You should let it stay in its natural home. But first, we can watch where it’s going.”

Defne carefully placed the turtle back on the ground. At first, it remained still for a few moments. Then, slowly, it stretched out its legs and started walking toward the stream. Defne and Umay watched in silence as the little creature moved forward—slowly but with determination—making its way toward the reeds.

Defne turned to her grandmother in amazement. “So it really knew where it was going!”

Umay nodded. “Yes, every creature has a path, Defne. Sometimes, we want to help, but the best thing we can do is let them find their own way.”

Defne kept those words in her heart as she watched the turtle reach the water’s edge and disappear into the reeds. A small part of her felt

disappointed—she had wanted to take care of it—but at the same time,

knowing the turtle was on the right path made her feel at peace.

From that day on, Defne saw nature differently. She realized that helping a living being didn’t always mean picking it up and taking it somewhere else. Sometimes, just observing and understanding their journey was enough.

Even years later, she would remember the little turtle as a reminder of the important lesson her grandmother had taught her:

True love sometimes means knowing when to let go.

ZEHRA- MUYAL

Selfless Mothers

I opened my eyes to another ordinary morning when my mother said, “Meltem, get up, it’s time for school.” I quickly got up and got dressed. My mother had gotten up early again and prepared breakfast for me. After quickly eating breakfast, I kissed my mother and left the house. I came to the classroom and chatted with my friends for a while. Then our literature teacher came to the classroom. We opened our books and started the lesson. We were continuing with the text. The text was about

mythological beings. It wasn’t my area of interest, I only knew a few things from here and there. When we finished the text, the teacher asked everyone to research a mythological being for the next day. While the lessons were in recess, the last bell of the school rang and we dispersed to our homes. When I got home, I went to my room and started thinking hard about which being I would choose. Just then, the door opened and my mother asked, “Are you hungry, my child?” I shook my head to indicate no. I hadn’t even gone near her, but her mind was always on me, am I hungry, am I sick, is there something wrong with me…

Before her, there was always me. This was the maternal instinct. This was waiting for her with a diaper when she had a fever while she was sleepless, this was feeding her child while she was hungry, this was the greatest sacrifice without expecting anything in return. Of course! I had found the mythological being I would research: Umay Ana. The protector of nature, women and babies. The protector of those who have a place above their heads but who are not even safe at home today.

The protector of God's silent servants whose only concern is a bowl of food. If there is no mother in a house, that house is always silent and always cold. I chose Umay Ana, who protects our mothers and their babies who bring colors and sounds to this world. Because I thought she was the most valuable being that could be chosen spiritually. I browsed around on my computer for a while, gathered information and prepared my presentation. Finally, I added a legend told about Umay Ana.

1 day later...

The teacher quickly entered the classroom, took attendance and asked who wanted to give the first presentation. I immediately raised my hand. “Come Meltem, we are listening to you.” I immediately took my place at the board and started my presentation.

“My friends, the mythological character that will be the subject of my presentation is Umay Ana. Umay Ana is known as one of the fundamental building blocks of Turkish mythology. Umay Ana is the

protector of our most precious mothers, whom we believe to be under the feet of heaven. She is also the protector of every being that gives birth and becomes a mother. Umay Ana helps reduce the burden on the shoulders of mothers who have a protective instinct, regardless of whether they are animals or humans. In fact, according to some stories, Umay Ana is the placenta. She protects the baby until it is separated from the mother and then separates from the baby. The sign that he protects her is his birthmark. There are also those who believe that the babies she helped have her handprints on their backs.

These are the basic information about Umay Ana, my friends. In order to explain it better, I will tell you a legend about Umay Ana.
In the old days, two villages were enemies. The village chief Akabey put on his armor to take his place in the front line to protect his people. His wife Olcay was very pregnant. She begged her husband, "Don't do it, don't do it, sir, don't let our baby go into a coma without a father." The lives of the people were at stake. He had to do it, no matter what... Akabey kissed his wife deeply on the forehead, not knowing that it was the end.

But there was no hope where there was war. There were no winners or losers. Only painful sacrifices were made. They would leave a part of themselves on the battlefield and return. With this awareness, Olcay fell to the ground helplessly and cried. She started kicking as if she felt the baby in her belly. Olcay caressed her belly as if to say, "You are safe." But the kicks began to turn into intense pains. Olcay was afraid, for her baby, for herself, for her beloved husband who was fighting outside the tent. She was afraid of losing.

There might have been blood on the outside, but they were not harmed at all, even though their tent was right in the middle of the village. It was as if a power was protecting the tent. It was taking Olca and her baby under its wing. The pains had gotten even stronger. The birth was starting. And in the middle of the war. When Olcay screamed in pain, a woman with blood on her hands and face came in, looking anxious. Olcay was nervous because he had never seen this woman in the village before; she could be an enemy. "Who are you!?" Olcay asked but no answer came.

He crawled back as far as he could, but finally his back touched the tent wall. The woman sat on her knees in front of Olcay and whispered in his ear to push with all your might. Olcay was still afraid, he didn't trust. But in this situation, he had no choice but to do what she said. He listened to the woman, and finally, the sound of a baby crying echoed in Olcay's ears. Hope had emerged in the middle of the war. While some people were perhaps dying outside, Olcay had brought a new life into this world. Even when he opened his eyes to that world, he had to be strong.

Maybe the baby would never see his father, but the hope in his heart would never fade. Because he was not the one who tried to be strong, but the one who had to be strong. The woman said, congratulations on having a baby boy, and quickly left the tent. Olcay could not make sense of what had happened. But she had taken her baby in her arms. She had smelled his scent. At that moment, Olcay forgot everything. There was only her baby and her at that moment. A life that she had to protect, that had been entrusted to her. Olcay stood up for her baby.

She remained strong so as not to show her father's absence. The village left that war with great damage and loss. Neither the people nor the village were the same anymore. But they never lost hope and joined hands and brought the village back to its former state.
As you can see, friends, Umay Ana is the one who protects her baby and mother from the enemy outside and helps with the birth. We can understand that she is protecting her baby and mother from the enemy at the door from the blood on her face. Babies are too innocent for this world.

They suddenly open their eyes to a world where pure evil roams around. Some babies feel like they are still in their mother's womb for the first week. Maybe it's because they can't believe the world is so cruel. This is where Umay Ana comes into play. According to belief, she is a shoulder to lean on, who keeps her eyes on both the mother and the baby from afar, and who does not refrain from helping when necessary. Monkeys, lions, birds, even these animals are ready to sacrifice themselves for their babies at the slightest danger. Sometimes the prey is not enough, she does not

eat it herself and feeds it to her baby. Motherhood is sacrifice everywhere. As I said, Umay Ana works to reduce the burden on the shoulders of every being who is a mother, even if just a little. "When I finished my speech, I turned to the teacher. "Thank you Meltem, you explained it very well." I bowed my head slightly to thank him and it was time for my other friends' presentations.

LİA-SHL

LOST FRIENDS

Vahakn and Hayk were two friends who grew up in a small Anatolian village. They spent their days playing in the streets, skipping stones by the stream, chatting, talking about what they would do in the future and dreaming. They were never apart. They were each other's closest friends, they would never do anything behind each other's backs, until that day...

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Our storybook consists of stories written by our students inspired by the heroes of the books they read within the scope of the Mythology project.

Congratulations to all our students who participated in the story writing activity.

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/abbd3wf8ruf5

BAHAR ÇKL-Story Competition Winner

WHISPERS OF THE ETERNAL LIGHTS

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"MYTHOLOGY"

İlgi D, Ali_Kagan, Bahar Ağın, Emre Muratoglu, Lia Portakalyan, Nataliahamry, Rana VFL, Zehra ada Melendizli, cakir_eda, proasdbaba

Defne Kaman, a journalist, investigates mysterious lights in Hasankeyf, uncovering secrets and supernatural connections while seeking the truth behind local legends and her dreams.

(102 pages)

Privacy level: PUBLIC

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