Lenka and her red cat Balthazar discover a tiny door in an old oak tree and step into a forest of glowing mushrooms, whispering leaves, and a butterfly with a very strange question.
One spring morning, Lenka woke with a feeling that tickled her toes and buzzed behind her ribs, as if the day itself were hiding a secret.
Sunlight slipped through the starburst curtains. Birds chirped outside her window. On the soft cushion by the bed, her red cat, Balthazar, stretched his paws and blinked at her with sleepy golden eyes.
"Today," Lenka whispered, brushing his ears, "I think I need a real adventure."
After breakfast, she slipped out toward the forest behind the house. Balthazar trotted beside her, his tail held high. The trees were tall and green, and the air smelled like damp moss and wet leaves. Lenka knew this forest well, or so she thought.
Then she saw something that made her stop so quickly that Balthazar bumped into her ankle.
Under the roots of a huge old oak, tiny mushrooms had popped up overnight. Their caps shimmered in bright, bubble-coloured lights. Lenka crouched down and touched one with one finger.
It quivered.
Then it floated neatly into the air.
"Miauuu!" Balthazar cried, and this time he was not looking at the mushrooms at all.
In the trunk of the oak, half hidden by bark and roots, was a little door. It was no bigger than a suitcase, and green stones sparkled around its edge. A soft tinkling sound drifted from behind it, light as silver bells.
Lenka stared. Balthazar stared. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
She reached out and caught the tiny handle. The door creaked open.
Inside was a path covered in glossy leaves, shining as if someone had just brushed them clean. It led deep into the tree.
"Come on, Balthazar," Lenka said, though her voice wobbled a little.
They stepped inside together.
The air changed at once. It smelled sweet, like roasted chestnuts and warm honey. Somewhere ahead, someone laughed softly. Then a glowing butterfly fluttered into view, beating its glittering wings right in front of Lenka's nose.
It hovered in the air and said in a thin, bell-like voice, "If you want to go on, you must answer my question."
Lenka and Balthazar froze as the butterfly turned its shining face toward them and the little door behind them clicked shut.