Then she peeped out and had a look.
The Negro took a small bottle from the pocket of his red shorts. He pulled out the cork and began rubbing himself all over with the liquid.
In another moment a miracle happened.
The Negro became white!
It was Tibul! There could be no doubt about it.
"Tibul!" the doll shrieked. She rushed out from behind the curtain and threw her arms around his neck.
The clown, whose eyes were still closed, decided something terrible had happened and fell senseless to the floor.
Tibul raised him by the seat of his pants.
It was now the doll's turn to start kissing Tibul.
"Goodness!" she said breathlessly. "How did you get so black?
I didn't even recognise you."
"Suok!" Tibul said sternly.
She let go of his neck and stood at attention before him like a good tin soldier.
"What?" Suok asked in her best schoolgirl voice.
Tibul put his hand on her tousled head.
She looked up at him with shining eyes.
"Did you hear what Doctor Caspar said?"
"Yes.
He said that the Three Fat Men told him to heal the doll that belongs to Tutti the Heir.
He said the doll ran away from his carriage.
And he also said I'm that doll!"
"He's wrong," Tibul said. "Doctor Caspar, I can assure you that this is not a doll.
This is my little friend, the dancing-girl Suok, my true friend and circus partner."
"Yes!" the doll said happily. "We used to walk across the rope together."
She was very pleased to hear Tibul call her his true friend and partner.
"Dear Tibul," she whispered and rubbed her cheek against his hand.
"What?!" said the doctor. "Is she really a live girl?
You say her name is Suok?
Yes, ah, yes!
Now I remember.
I saw her once before.
Yes, yes!
I saved her from the servants of that old woman who wanted to have her caned!" Here the doctor clasped his hands.
"Of course!
That's why I thought the doll of Tutti the Heir looked so familiar.
It's an amazing resemblance."
Soon everything became clear to everyone.
It was getting lighter and lighter outside.
A rooster cleared his throat near by.
Then the doctor became sad again.
"All this is very well.
But it means I haven't got the doll, it means that I really did lose it."
"It means you've found it," Tibul said, putting his arm around Suok.
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said.
Do you understand what I mean, Suok?"
"I think I do," she answered softly.
"Well?" Tibul said.
"Certainly," the doll said and smiled.
The doctor didn't understand a thing.