The First Flying Man

My story begins in the 1630s. It is the time of the Ottoman Empire. Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi is a clever young man of those days. He lives in the district of Uskudar, in Istanbul.

Every morning, Hezarfen sits near the Bosphorus strait. He looks at the tall tower in the district of Galata across the water. The Galata Tower is taller than all the buildings near it.

"Simit! Would you like a simit?", a man near Hezarfen calls. He has some tasty Turkish bread rings on his head. But Hezarfen doesn't answer.

Every morning the man cries, "Would you like a simit?" But Hezarfen never answers.

He doesn't hear or see the man. He is dreaming. In his dream, he is flying over the Bosphorus with the sea birds.

"One day I want to look down from the sky on Istanbul", he thinks. "I want to fly across the strait with you birds. But how?"

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empire a number of countries that one country controls

clever quick-thinking

district part of a big town or city

strait a long thin line of sea water between two pieces of land

tower a very tall thin building

tasty good to eat

ring something round with nothing in the middle

dream to think about something that you want to happen; when you think about something that you want to happen

fly to move through the air

bird an animal that can fly through the sky