The Boy and the River Dolphin

The Boy and the River Dolphin Çınar BİBER

Arjun lived in a small house beside a wide, slow river. Every morning, he packed his green canvas satchel with a notebook and pencils. He loved to sit on the riverbank and watch the water. One day, something smooth and grey rose up and took a breath. It was a river dolphin! 1

Arjun's dark brown eyes opened wide. The dolphin had a long, slender snout and a gentle, playful smile. It swam close to the bank, then dove under the water. Arjun grabbed his notebook. He wrote, 'River dolphin seen today. It has a curved dorsal fin and smooth grey-brown skin.' He wanted to learn everything about it. 2

The next day, Arjun's best friend Meera came to visit. She had two black braids and a blue ribbon in her hair. 'What are you writing?' she asked. 'I'm studying the river dolphin,' Arjun said. 'It lives right here in our river!' Meera's hazel eyes sparkled. 'Can I help?' she asked. 'Of course!' said Arjun. 3

Every day, Arjun and Meera went to the riverbank. They watched where the dolphin swam and where it came up to breathe. Arjun drew a map in his notebook. He marked the deep pools and the quiet spots near the reeds. 'The dolphin likes this part best,' he said. 'It's calm and clean here.' Meera nodded. 'But look over there,' she said, pointing. 'There's some trash floating.' 4

Arjun frowned. 'That's not good,' he said. 'The dolphin needs clean water to stay healthy.' He wrote in his notebook: 'Clean water helps the dolphin and other wildlife live happily.' Meera asked, 'What can we do?' Arjun thought hard. 'We can start by telling people,' he said. 'But first, let's learn more about what the dolphin needs.' 5

Arjun and Meera visited the library. They read books about river dolphins. They learned that dolphins need clean water, plenty of fish, and safe places to swim. 'Pollution hurts them,' Arjun said. 'And so does trash in the river.' Meera looked worried. 'We have to protect the dolphin's habitat,' she said. 'That means keeping the whole river clean.' 6

Back at the riverbank, they saw the dolphin again. It leaped out of the water and splashed its tail. 'It's so playful!' Meera laughed. But then Arjun spotted a plastic bag floating near the dolphin. 'We need to do something,' he said. 'The dolphin might eat that by mistake.' Meera said, 'Let's make a poster to tell everyone to keep the river clean.' 7

Arjun's face lit up. 'That's a great idea!' he said. 'We can draw the dolphin and write about its habitat.' They ran to Arjun's house and spread out a big sheet of paper. Arjun drew the dolphin with its long snout and curved dorsal fin. Meera drew the river and the reeds. They wrote in bright letters: 'Keep Our River Clean!' 8

Meera colored the dolphin grey-brown, and Arjun added blue water and green plants. They wrote: 'Clean water helps the river dolphin and all wildlife.' They added pictures of fish and birds. 'We should tell people not to throw trash in the river,' Meera said. Arjun nodded. 'And to pick up litter when they see it,' he added. 9

When the poster was finished, it was bright and beautiful. Arjun's mother and father came to see it. 'This is wonderful!' said his mother. 'You've worked so hard.' Meera's family came too. Everyone admired the poster. 'We can hang it at the community center,' said Arjun's father. 'That way, many people will see it.' Arjun and Meera smiled at each other. 10

The next day, they hung the poster at the community center. People stopped to look. Arjun explained, 'The river dolphin lives in our river. It needs clean water to survive.' Meera added, 'We can all help by not littering and by picking up trash.' Many people promised to help. 'I'll bring a bag to collect litter,' said one neighbor. 'I'll tell my friends,' said another. 11

Arjun and Meera organized a river cleanup day. Friends and family came with gloves and bags. They picked up plastic bottles and wrappers. The dolphin swam nearby, as if watching. 'Look!' Meera shouted. 'It's swimming in the clean water!' Arjun felt proud. 'We're making a difference,' he said. 'The dolphin's habitat is getting safer.' 12

After the cleanup, the river sparkled. The dolphin leaped high in the air, its smooth skin shining. 'It looks happy!' Meera said. Arjun nodded. 'Clean water makes a big difference,' he said. 'And it's not just the dolphin—the fish and birds need it too.' They sat on the bank and watched the dolphin play. It felt like a reward for their hard work. 13

At home, Arjun wrote in his notebook: 'The river dolphin is safe because we kept the river clean.' He drew a picture of the dolphin and the poster. Meera added a heart. 'We should keep doing this,' she said. 'Yes,' said Arjun. 'Every day, we can do something small to help.' They promised to always take care of the river. 14

The poster stayed up at the community center. More and more people joined the cleanup days. Arjun and Meera became known as the river keepers. One day, the dolphin swam close to the bank and seemed to smile at them. 'I think it's saying thank you,' Meera whispered. Arjun grinned. 'We're saying thank you to the river too,' he said.