Everyone is looking forward to going to the circus – but Max has a knot in his tummy because he’s afraid of clowns. However, his sister Klara has a great idea.
He thinks they are scary and strange: Max is afraid of clowns. Wherever he runs into them he’s very frightened of these men with a broad grin on their face. That’s why Max is not looking forward to the circus as much as his big sister Klara. He would really prefer to stay at home.
Klara has realized that Max is quite tense and is not really looking forward to going to the circus. She feels sorry for her little brother and knows why he’s so afraid. When he was very young he was scared by a dancing clown at Carnival who wanted to give him a sweet.
The shock has remained, so Klara has thought up something special to help her little brother get over his fear. Together with her parents she organized a special visit to the circus several days ago.
On the way to the circus Max doesn’t feel so good. But Klara tries to embolden her brother: “You’ll love the circus, Max – I’ve had a really great idea.” At the circus Klara and Max are welcomed by the director, Frederic. He knows that Max is a bit scared and is therefore even more pleased that the children will enjoy an unusual glimpse into the circus world.
Before the show starts, Klara and Max are allowed to take a look behind the scenes and watch the artistes preparing for their performances. Max and Klara meet a nice guy called Hugo. Before putting on his costume and make-up he takes them round the circus and explains everything that is needed to put on such a big show.
Hugo and Max have lots of fun. The little boy is impressed with Hugo’s amusing magic tricks and feels at ease in his presence. Luisa prepares a delicious stew for the entire troupe so that they have plenty of energy for the show. Max and Klara are allowed to eat lunch with the artistes too.
After lunch it’s time for the artistes to prepare for the show. Max is able to watch and is fascinated to see how Hugo applies his make-up and slips into his clown costume. The funny guy Hugo becomes the clown Hugo. And so that little Max gets over his fear of clowns once and for all he is allowed to dress up and make himself up as a clown – how cool is that?
Now Max is a bit nervous – not because he’s afraid of the circus clown but because he has been allowed to perform a magic trick in the arena together with Hugo. The two clowns – big and little – delight the audience, and Klara in particular is very proud of her little brother. And also a little proud of herself: because her plan was a big success. Max is no longer afraid – on the contrary, he’s now become a real clown fan.