On Saturday afternoon, the silver circus tent shone like a big moon. The flags danced in the wind and the sweet smell of candyfloss wafted from the trolley. Lila held a ticket in her hand with a star drawn on it, and Olek squeezed a crescent-shaped balloon. - Look at the sparkle! - whispered Lila as the sun brushed the tent. Inside, it smelled of sawdust and toffee. Small lights shone around the arena. On the benches, spectators whispered and drums muttered quietly: boom, boom. Mum sat right behind the children and handed them popcorn that crunched like little sugar snowballs. Suddenly, the lights flickered and Mr. Shine - a tall, smiling circus director - stepped into the middle of the arena. He had a black hat with a big gold star and a cane with a tip like a drop of light. He bowed so low that he almost touched the sawdust with his nose. - Good evening, great and small! - he called out. - Today under our silver roof you will see wonders, laughter and leaps as light as a feather! The clown Gucio rolled into the arena. His nose was as red as a strawberry and his shoes were so long that he hooked them into his own... smiles. He juggled coloured balls, oranges and blue scarves that floated like clouds. Then the pony Piegus came in, white with brown dots. He had ribbons at his mane and was tapping his horseshoes: tick, tick, tick. On his back sat an acrobat girl in a silver costume and drew hearts in the air with her foot. The circus dog Fig jumped through hoops made of paper flowers, and each time glittery petals spilled from the flower garden. Lila smiled broadly. She also heard something else - a quiet bell, as soft as a drop of glass. Ding. Ding. It sounded when something unusual was happening in the air. After a brief pause, Mr Shine returned. His hat shone and the star on it shone like a tiny sun. - 'And now,' he thundered softly, 'it's time for the Big Star Rain Number! When this star shines the strongest, the lights in the tent will dance and a luminous rain will fall on your hands! The drums hummed faster. The clown Gucio stood on tiptoe and covered his mouth, as if he wanted to hide his smile until the finale. The lamps slowed down their glow, waiting for the cue. Lila and Olek leaned forward. Mr. Sparkle lifted his cap ... and froze. The gold star was gone. It became very quiet in the tent. All that could be heard was a quiet: shoo... as if someone was blowing on a feather. Mr Sparkle looked inside his hat, under the cuff, behind the collar. Clown Gucio cautiously checked his own pocket, from which a flower spring shot out. Fig sniffed the sawdust and sneezed: apsik! - 'A moment of charming patience, please,' laughed Mr Flash, but his eyes shone differently. - The stars like to play hide and seek. The audience began to whisper. Lila squeezed the corner of the programme. A speck of glitter lay by her shoe. It shone like a star and went out. Ding - ding - ding... That quiet little bell rang again, this time from behind a purple curtain that rippled gently, as if breathing. - Can you hear it? - whispered Olek. - There's something... sounding. In front of the arena itself was a low, colourful railing with flags. The children sat up straight, as Mum had asked, but Lila leaned over a little to look towards the curtain. Golden dots flashed between the heavy folds of fabric, like footprints from someone's steps. And just off the floor, under a decoration of painted stars, Lila spotted a small, semi-circular door. It was so low that only a Fig or... a ray of light would probably pass through it. On the door someone had drawn a star and written in small letters: "For lights only". Ding. - Oh dear... - slipped out Lili. The drums quietened down, as if they were lending an ear along with the children. Mr Flash, still in the middle of the arena, shook his hat. A single feather fell out of it and dropped onto Lili's knee. The feather was soft, warm and seemed to glow a little. - On three! - cried Mr Flash, trying to sound carefree. - Once... The curtain twitched. The small door under the decoration moved and swung open the width of a walnut. A narrow streak of gold, thin as a ribbon, slid out from between the boards. It curled in the air, danced one small circle and... headed straight for Lila and Olek. - Two... - the drums answered: boom... boom... buuum.... The streak stood just above the railing, twitched, fluttered like a skylight's tail and sparked so brightly that for a moment all the grains in the popcorn shone. Lila held her breath. Olek squeezed her sleeve. - Tr... - Mr Flash raised his hand up, the curtain moved like a wave, and the golden streak suddenly....