A Hundred Balloons at Dawn

Before sunrise, the sky over the valley began to fill with giant balloons. One, then ten, then more than one hundred, all rising together in the soft blue light. Polly flew between them, amazed. She is a small green parrot with a red-orange head, blue wing feathers, yellow feet, and little round glasses.

Below her stood towers of pale stone. They looked like tall chimneys made by giants. But their doors and windows were made by people. Long ago, families carved whole homes inside the soft rock. This place is called Göreme, in the heart of Cappadocia.

Polly landed on the edge of a big basket, high in the air. Inside stood a pilot and his happy passengers. The pilot smiled at her. "You are early, little friend," he said. "Did you see our little balloon? Every morning we send a small balloon up first, to read the wind."

The sun came up over the far hills. Every balloon turned gold, and the stone towers glowed like honey. Polly looked at the pilot and the great burner above his head. She decided to stay for seven days and learn how the balloons fly.