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Five-year-old Bruna and her little brother Blau, who was three, were eagerly waiting for the Three Kings’ parade. The main square was full of children and their families. Coloured lights glowed, stars hung overhead, and the air felt so magical that their fingertips seemed to tingle.
In the centre stood a clock as big as a building. But… it had no hands!
“Look, Blau! What a strange clock!” said Bruna.
Suddenly, a curious character appeared on the town hall balcony: the Clockmaker. He wore a tree stump for a hat and had an enormous nose. His smile was full of mystery.
“Hello, children! The Kings must set off at six o’clock, but this clock has no hands! Without them, they won’t know when it is time.”
“What can we do?” asked Bruna, fascinated.
“We need the Handfinder. Shout his name after three, and he will appear to put the hands on and wind up the clock!”
The children stared at one another with wide eyes.
“One, two, three… HANDFINDER!”
As if by magic, a mechanical figure appeared. He had a moustache and carried a huge key. He carefully fitted the hands and wound the clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock… It was working!
But when the Clockmaker returned to the balcony, he scratched his enormous nose.
“It’s six o’clock now… but the bells aren’t ringing! If the Kings don’t hear them, they won’t know it is time to leave.”
“What do we do now?” asked Blau, a little worried.
“We need the Hammerers!”
After three, all the children shouted:
“HAMMERERS! HAMMERERS!”
Three very strange but funny mechanical characters appeared. In their pretend comedy act, they tapped one another’s heads with toy hammers that grew bigger and bigger. Everyone laughed. The Hammerers were so entertaining that nobody could look away.
“Now we’re ready!” said the Clockmaker. “With enough sound, the bells will ring and the Kings will know it is time!”
Clonk, clonk, clonk… The sound rang around the square. Suddenly, the Three Kings appeared on magical floats covered in lights and presents. Everyone gasped. Bruna and Blau clapped so hard their fingers turned pink.
The square filled with music, laughter and the excitement of having helped start the magical clock.
“That was the best parade of my life!” said Bruna.
“Mine too!” added Blau, hugging his sister.
Thanks to the Handfinder, the Hammerers, the Clockmaker and all the children, the Kings set off on time. The night was filled with magic, joy and laughter.
