There was the smell of popcorn and sawdust under the big circus tent. Lila sat with her dad in the front row. An entertainer with a black cane entered the arena. He smiled broadly and nodded his cylinder. The acrobats did a tower of three. A clown tripped over his own shoes. A juggler spun torches over the arena sand. Suddenly the orchestra fell silent and a snare drum sounded. The announcer said: "One little helper is needed!" Lila raised her hand, her heart beating like a drum. The light fell on her and on the red carpet. The magician lugged a large green box into the arena. The lock glittered and the lid trembled slightly. Dad whispered: "Do you hear that, Lilo? Maybe it's a rabbit?" The magician handed Lila a golden key on a ribbon. "Only you can open it," he said quietly. The snare drum rumbled louder and louder against the very ceiling. The flame of the juggler's torch danced by the chest. The lid moved on its own and rattled from inside. Lila slid the key into the lock and held her breath. At that moment, something knocked again, louder.