Frederic the ringmaster is looking for a new theme for this year’s circus tour. He and his artistes are thinking up unusual ideas for a spectacular and breathtaking show.
Roxy and Hugo are messing around in the ring; they simply can’t sit still. Being an acrobat, Roxy loves a challenge and is always ready for fun and adventures. No wonder she gets on so well with Hugo the clown. He is always in a good mood and loves conjuring up smiles on the faces of the artistes and audiences.
Meanwhile, Frederic is having trouble smiling – the ringmaster is looking rather fierce. He fiddles with his moustache, paces up and down restlessly and looks at his artistes. Although he sometimes seems rather stern, Luisa, the cook and soul of the circus, knows that inside he has a good heart. From a distance she watches the circus performers trying to find a new idea for a show. To spark their imaginations a little, Luisa decides to bake a batch of tasty muffins for her troupe – they will be sure to cheer up even Frederic a bit.
“We could do a western show,” offers Henry, the shy horse-whisperer, quietly. He is Frederic’s son. Very different from his father, he is more reserved and would rather spend his time with the horses than with the other artistes. No wonder he likes the idea of rehearsing a show starring his horses. But the twin jugglers Timo and Annina have a very different idea: “That’s boring. A space-themed show would be much cooler,” they cry loudly. “What about an underwater show?” asks Hugo, and glances over at Frederic. The ringmaster doesn’t seem particularly impressed with his artistes’ suggestions: “Hmmm…we’ve done all that before. We need something new, something creative and extraordinary.”
An extraordinary fragrance is wafting over from Luisa’s kitchen. Roxy has already noticed it a while ago and slipped away quietly. The cheeky acrobat has been with the circus a long time and appreciates kind Luisa’s fabulous cooking skills: “That smells incredibly good, Luisa – are the muffins done yet?” Luisa winks at Roxy the unconventional artiste: “In a minute, my dear.”
Luisa and Roxy carry the freshly baked muffins over to the circle of performers. “Oh, they look delicious, Luisa!” cries Annina happily. The disciplined juggler is careful to eat very healthily – but is always tempted by cake and sweets. The artistes bite happily into the fresh muffins. Even fierce Frederic manages a smile – cakes hot from the oven can brighten up his mood too.
Fortified and with fresh motivation, the troupe search for a spectacular theme for their new circus show. They all offer more ideas and suggest possible acts and themes. Only one seems to have her mind elsewhere. Frederic the ringmaster notices this too: “Hello Lilly, are you with us? Why do you always sit there dreaming?” The graceful tightrope walker looks at the ringmaster with a smile and says: “Well, because dreaming is so wonderful.” At first, Frederic looks annoyed, but suddenly the corners of his mouth twitch and, with a great big smile, he announces: “That’s it! Dreaming is wonderful – that’s the theme for our new show. Let’s create a dream world full of fantasy.”
The whole troupe is seized with enthusiasm for the idea. Inspired by the theme, the twins Timo and Annina immediately try out a few juggling tricks, while Lilly is already performing an elegant and graceful dance on her tightrope. Roxy too has a daring idea for a spectacular acrobatic act and Henry the horse-whisperer is already immersed in his own world of dreams. The ring is simply buzzing with creativity and imaginative ideas. Frederic the ringmaster is happy: “It’s going to be a very special year,” he whispers to Luisa.
