When Susie finds her grandfather's old watch in the attic, she and Fafik are whisked into a strange past full of surprises.
It was a bright morning in Grandmother's big green garden. Violets hid under the old oak tree, and Susie and her dog Fafik ran between the flower beds, with his paws pattering after her.
Susie loved exploring every corner of Grandmother's house, especially the attic. It was cool and dusty up there, with cobwebs in the beams and the smell of old paper in the air. In a far corner, she spotted a small wooden box. On the lid, in careful letters, it said, "For Susie - from Grandpa."
Her fingers trembled as she lifted the lid. Inside lay a silver watch on a chain. It was old and smooth, but the face was strange. Instead of numbers, there were tiny stars and little stamped symbols in a circle.
Fafik pressed his nose to the watch and gave one eager wag of his tail. A soft light blinked across the silver, brighter and brighter. Susie sucked in a breath. The attic spun. The floor seemed to fall away.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a wide meadow full of flowers. But this was not Grandmother's garden. No cars rumbled past. Strange carts rolled by instead, and children in long dresses and trousers with braces hurried across the grass.
Susie tightened her hand around the watch. Fafik froze beside her, ears up and tail stiff. A second later, a voice called from the bushes, quiet and startled:
"Hey! Who are you? I've never seen you here before!"
A boy in a round hat stepped into the light, staring at Susie and the shining watch in her hand.