In Brzozówka it was raining like a watering can. The old library smelled of warm paper and lemon tea. Mrs Basia was arranging books on a bookcase labelled "Nature", and Morel's cat slept curled up on a cushion in a corner by the window. - 'Mrs Basia, can we look up something about leaves? - Hania asked. - 'Sure, just watch out for the ladder,' smiled Mrs Basia. - And I'll be right back with a cup for you. Hania and Kacper moved between the shelves. Hania was curious and liked to rustle the pages. Kacper always had pockets full of treasures: pebbles, feathers and animal-shaped rubber bands. And then they heard rustling. Not the kind of page-turning. It sounded like a quiet: shh.... as if someone had shaken a twig right next to them. - Did you hear that? - whispered Hania. - Maybe it was Apricot? - Kacper looked out from behind the bookcase, but the cat was asleep and didn't even move its ears. A rustling sound came from the shelf where a thick book with an embossed silver leaf on the spine stood. Hania climbed onto a low stool. Mrs Basia allowed it. She touched the cover. It was cool and smooth. As they slid the volume out, a small page slid off the top. It fell under their feet. On the page was a drawing of a leaf and a short sentence, written in soft pencil: If you like to rustle, follow the sound. Under the stars of the carpet you will find another shadow. The children looked at each other. - The stars? - repeated Kacper. - We have a carpet with stars on it! The cushion corner had a navy blue carpet with bright stars. They approached cautiously. The rain was tapping against the windows, and the library was soft and quiet. The rustling murmured again, as if inviting: shhh.... Hania knelt down and stroked the carpet. Something underneath was harder, like a board. They turned up a corner. Under the carpet they saw a small wooden leaf pressed into the floor, like a button. - Press it? - Kacper asked. - Gently,' said Hania. Click. The floor under the bench by the window vibrated slightly, as if it had sighed. From the gap between the boards the cool smell of the forest after the rain blew in. A golden light shimmered in the gap, like a spark of sunshine in a drop. - Oh dear... - whispered Kacper. - Where did the forest come from? Hania moved the bench back an inch. Something rustled louder, like fallen leaves just under the floor. A moment later again: a click, as quiet as a wink. - Maybe it was the switch? - Kacper put his ear to the board. - I hear... a sort of... a breeze. Hania opened a book with a leaf. She found a sketch of the library drawn with a pencil on the cover page. A dot had just marked the corner with the cushions. Next to it, someone had written in tiny letters: "Under the rain of stars, leaves can be heard." Mrs Basia's voice came from the back room: - Coming! Just watch out for the stool! The children held their breath. They only had a moment. They gripped the edge of the bench together and lifted it a little higher. The rustling became clearer, as if someone was quietly calling inside: psst.... psst... Something green flashed in the depths, like the wing of a dragonfly. The smell of the forest was now strong and fresh. The bench twitched a second time, and a quiet sound came from the dark crevice, like a drop falling on a leaf. Hania and Kacper looked at each other, counted in a whisper: one, two, three... and then something rattled from within, something that couldn't lie under an ordinary floor.