In the bright town of Smieszów, where laughter usually bounced off every wall, everyone suddenly goes quiet. Ela and her joke-making dog, Bean, set off to find out why.
In the middle of Smieszów, where the houses wore bright colours and the market square was shaped like a smiling face, something terribly odd happened.
The town had always been noisy with giggles, snorts, and bursts of laughter that seemed to roll through the streets at breakfast time, bedtime, and every minute in between. But this morning, the balloons in the square drooped, the rainbow-painted benches looked sulky, and the people who usually laughed at everything now walked around with the same gloomy expression.
Ela noticed it first. She was eight, with curly blonde hair, fair skin, and big blue eyes that missed almost nothing. Usually, she was the kind of girl who could find something funny in a falling leaf, a crooked hat, or even a grumpy flowerpot. Her best friend was Bean, a dog with a talent for silly faces, dramatic sighs, and barking at his own tail as if it were an old enemy.
Bean did not think this was a normal day either. He tilted his head at a baker who didn’t smile back, then sat down so hard his ears flopped over his eyes. Ela frowned. If Smieszów had stopped laughing, something must be very wrong.
She grabbed a map of the town, a bottle of water, and a small bag of provisions, and Bean grabbed the end of the ribbon tied to her backpack, as if he meant to help or at least supervise. Together they set off down the main street, following the strange silence like a trail.
At the corner by the fountain, something glittered on the cobblestones. Ela bent down to look closer, and Bean let out one sharp bark at the exact moment a shadow moved behind the toy shop window.