It was Christmas Eve, snow silently covered the streets. The Christmas tree stood in the living room and twinkled with lights. Hania was mixing icing and Olek was decorating gingerbread. Grandma was humming a carol by the warm, fragrant cooker. Suddenly something rang very quietly, like a tiny bell. - Did you hear that ringing? - she whispered to her brother. Olek nodded and listened intently. The sound came from the attic above the stairs. There were tiny, glittering crumbs lying on the steps. - 'It's probably from our ornaments,' his grandmother said. - Check quickly before the borscht boils out of the pot. The children climbed upstairs with a torch. The attic door creaked open like an old sled. Inside it smelled of wood, apples and winter. On the trunk lay an envelope with their names on it. Hania touched the seal in the shape of a snowflake. They opened the envelope and slid out a small map. The map showed a house, a garden and a Christmas tree. Next to it was the sentence, "Open when the first bell rings." - But the bell had already rung," whispered Olek. They ran downstairs, holding hands. The lights flashed faster and the window flashed silver. Someone moved the branches of the Christmas tree on the terrace side. Hania gripped the map tighter and swung the door open. And then they heard a quiet whisper just beyond the threshold....