Whoosh! Malak puffs at the tickly hair on the forehead. It flies up... and flops right back down. Today is the very first haircut — what a big day!
Here's the barbershop! The stripy pole by the door spins round and round, like a giant lollipop. Malak stands on tiptoe and watches it twirl. How does it ever stop?
"Welcome, welcome!" The barber pats the big spinning chair, pat-pat. Up climbs Malak, one knee, then the other — very carefully. The chair is as tall as a mountain.
"Hold on tight!" The chair spins one whole turn — wheee! — then rises up, up, up with a hum. Malak laughs out loud. It's just like a little spaceship!
On goes the little star cape — swish! Malak is a superhero now, fists on hips. The hero in the mirror strikes the very same pose and smiles right back.
Snip-snip! Out come the little scissors. Malak squeezes the cape tight with both fists — just a tiny bit scared. But the barber smiles so warmly. Superheroes can be brave and wobbly too.
The scissors snip so gently, snip, snip. Tiny wisps of hair float down like snowflakes, one after another. Hey — it doesn't hurt at all! It only tickles a tiny bit.
"Look!" The barber holds up the little mirror. It's still the very same Malak in there — just fresh, tidy, and extra sharp. Malak pats the neat hair and beams.
The barber ties a tiny lock of hair with a red ribbon and tucks it into a little envelope for Malak. "A treasure from your very first haircut!" And look — a swirly lollipop too!
Back home, the tiny lock of hair goes into the treasure box, next to the pebble and the shell. Malak closes the lid gently. First haircut — bravely, proudly done!