Philip was very fond of the circus. His favourite place was the colourful arena with the big striped tent. Every evening the crowd of children and adults waited for the performances of Mr Beard, who could juggle buns, and his dog Klops spun in circles on his hind legs. Tonight, however, Philip was no mere spectator, but a helper! His best friend, Maja, was wearing a clown costume with a huge shell on her head. Together they carried big red balloons and handed them to the performing animals. Suddenly, the lights dimmed. In the middle of the arena, under a big blue spotlight, a strange old box appeared. It had a padlocked lid, and golden stars and moons were painted on its lid. - Where did it come from? - whispered Maja to Philip. The dog Klops started barking and hopping around the box as if he sensed something. All the artists and spectators looked on with curiosity. Suddenly, the crate moved slightly. Could it be that something was hiding in it? Philip and Maja looked at each other in surprise and decided to come closer together....