It was a warm evening and it smelled of mint. Maja and Staś sat on the balcony and counted the satellites. Above them, lights shone like tiny stars. The cat Pod was sprawled like a warm pancake on a chair and purring quietly. - I see one! - cried Staś and pressed a tube of cardboard to his eye. - Oh, there! It's flying slowly! - It must be a space train," joked Maja. - Or maybe the postman from the stars. The bud raised an ear. Something tapped gently on the mint pot, like a drop of rain. No one had seen it rain. Maya leaned over and spread the leaves. There was something silver lying in the ground. It was smooth and shone like fish scales. The size of a cup. It had a tiny window and three dots on top. One flashed in a rhythm: bite... bite... bite. - What is it? - whispered Staś. - It looks like... a ship? - Maja wasn't sure. - Only very, very small. The bud pressed its nose between the leaves. The silver thing buzzed and displayed a luminous picture on its window. Like a map, as it were. There was our block of flats, their balcony, and a sky with a big flashing star above it. - See? - Maja drew in the air. - It knows our balcony! Staś touched one of the points. The silver thing twitched and slid out a thin strip from the lights, like a tailor's metre, only glowing. The letters MAJA appeared on the strip. Then STAŚ. Then, to Donut's great pride, the word DOGNUT. - How does he know Doughnut! - Staś poked his head up and giggled, but his eyes were big and round. The belt retracted and the silver thing began to fold and unfold silently, like a paper bird. Two wings extended from its sides, petals blossomed on the roof like solar panels. The whole thing grew a little, then a little more, until it was the size of a small birdhouse. The pot became cramped. - It really is a rocket," said Maja very slowly. - A rocket in our pot. The silver rocket winked at them through the window. A blue glow appeared in the centre and the air swirled on the balcony, above the juice table. Out of the vortex popped a silhouette made up of light - a tiny pilot. He was round, with two sparkles instead of eyes and a smile like a crescent moon. - 'Hello,' he called out in a voice that sounded like a bell and a bubble together. - This is Dot, pilot first class. Signal accepted. I'm looking for a crew small but smart. Staś covered his mouth with his hand. - He's talking! - And I can hear! - The budgie meowed, which sounded like: Meow! Dot waved. Next to him, another picture unfolded. On it was a path of light leading from the balcony directly to a star, the one that twinkled above the block. Above the star was drawn a cloud with three question marks. Dot touched the cloud and squirmed a little, as if he was missing something. - 'I have a request for you,' he said. - My rocket is looking for a missing... hmm... flash. I won't fly without it. I need brave eyes and fast hands. Can you help? Maja looked at Staś. Staś looked at Maja. They both looked at Pod, who was just trying to lick the solar panel. - It sounds like an... adventure," said Maja, while her heart was jumping like a ball. - But how do we get into such a small rocket? Dot patted his forehead with a luminous hand. - 'Oh, right! There, there! The rocket trembled. The petals on the roof spread wider. The wings straightened like hands. The sides began to pull apart, as if someone were eating a bread roll and putting down the crumbs, only in reverse order: the crumbs made a bigger roll. The silver walls grew quiet, without rustling. The lights on the balcony trembled and blinked, then shone normally again. After only a moment, the rocket was the height of a chair. A slender flap appeared in its side. A ramp slid out from the centre, like a very polite dog's tongue. At the end of the ramp shone two small helmets - one with a cloud-shaped sticker, the other with a cat-shaped sticker. The third, a tiny one, had... a fish printed on it. - 'These helmets are for you,' announced Dot, pleased. - And for Mr Donut, if... if Mr Donut wants them. Doughnut sniffed his helmet and blinked seriously, as if to say: I am ready. Suddenly, a quiet beeping sound came from inside the rocket. Three dots appeared on the door. The first lit up red. The second blinked orange. The third waited, pale and green. - What does that mean? - asked Staś, holding up his helmet. - 'It's a countdown,' whispered Dot, and his luminous eyes grew round like buttons. - Readiness, readiness ... almost readiness! The air smelled of mint and something new, the weight of fresh adventure. Maja took a deep breath. Her heart was jumping again, but pleasantly so. She reached out her hand. She touched the ramp. It was smooth and warm. At the same moment, the first dot turned from red to pink and a sound rang out: - Three... The lights on the balcony flickered. - Two... The flap on the rocket vibrated, the green light blinked and the door began to slide open wider and wider, and a noise came from inside as if someone had just opened the sky