“That’s the magic spell! I knew there was something special about her when I first saw the music box in Mr DaCosta’s window! That’s why I wanted to buy it so badly!
“I knew, Grumpy Jake! I knew!!!”
“Oh dear, Tilly,” said Grumpy Jake. “I know something, too. I know that it's awfully late, and my poor old head is just spinning from what I saw here tonight and from the things that I heard. I really must get back to bed, and you had better get some more sleep as well.”
He stood up and walked to the doorway and then stopped. “I can’t imagine what everyone will think when we try to tell them about all this,” he added.
Tilly was quickly back into her bed. “They’ll think you had a second music box, Grandpa, and this was just another of your tricks. You will have switched them during the night to make me think some magic had been at work.
“Anything I notice that’s different would just be part of the magic, wouldn’t it. …And Grandpa; could make me a key for it. Then I’ll be able to play it again. Please grandpa?”
“Of course I will dear. Of course I will,” said Jake. “Now sleep tight.”
Tilly’s parents arrived home the next morning while she and Jake were having breakfast. The music box was on the table, and Tilly jumped up and greeted them excitedly as soon as they came inside.
“Mum! Dad!” she shouted. “Just look at my music box! Some magic came last night and made it all new and beautiful! Look!”
Tilly’s mother looked at the music box, then turned toward Jake and slowly raised an eyebrow.
Old She’ll-be-jake – The Clock Man was sort-of gazing at the ceiling with a smile of the most angelic innocence on his weatherbeaten face.
“I just don’t understand it,” he said with absolute honesty. “It’s simply, um ... AMAZING, isn’t it.”
“Yes, Dad,” said Tilly’s mother. “It‘s simply … ‘amazing’.”
She went around to where he was sitting and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she whispered into his ear: “You always were handy with a bit of magic, weren’t you, you old devil. But why did you have your mother’s maiden name engraved on it instead of Tilly’s?”
Jake looked around at her, his face a picture of transparent frankness.
“I don’t understand how that happened,” he said. “I was just as surprised as you when I saw it.
“––But look. I explained it all to Tilly, and she doesn’t mind. That’s the most important thing. In fact I think she prefers it like this; it’s as if she has something precious that once belonged to her great-grandmother.”
Later that day Jake made a small silver key so Tilly could rewind her beautiful little music box. And every night after that, when she went to bed, Tilly would close her eyes and listen to it playing.
And then, as she drifted off to sleep, a dream would come – a dream about a broken music box, a sad little ballerina, and of moonlight shining in her window.
And gradually … gradually … gradually … the enchanted music box would run down … until … its tune … … had stopped. And Tilly would be fast asleep.
THE END
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