Thousands of children were waiting for their favourite actress to appear.
But she did not appear alone on that festive day. A golden-haired little boy who looked very much like her stood next to her on the stage.
He was her brother.
He had once been Tutti the Heir.
The city was alive with music and laughter, flags waved everywhere, wet roses fell from the bowls of the flower-girls, horses decked out with feathers pranced about, merry-go-rounds whizzed around and around, and in Star Square the young audience raptly watched the performance.
After it was over, Suok and Tutti were snowed under with flowers.
The children surrounded them.
Suok took a little board from the pocket of her new dress and read something written on it to the children.
You certainly remember the board.
One terrible night a dying stranger who looked like a wolf gave it to Suok through the bars of his cage in the Palace zoo.
This is what was written on the board:
"There were two of you, a sister and brother, Suok and Tutti.
"When you were four years old, you were kidnapped from your home by the Guards of the Three Fat Men.
"I am Toub, a scientist.
I was taken to the Palace.
I was shown little Suok and Tutti.
"And the Three Fat Men said:
'Do you see this girl?
Make a doll that will be just like her.'
I did not know why they wanted it.
"So I made a doll.
I was a great scientist.
The doll had to grow just like a live girl.
When Suok was five, the doll would have to be five, too.
Suok would become a big girl, pretty and sad, and the doll would, too.
I made that doll.
And then you were separated.
Tutti remained in the Palace with the doll, and Suok was given to a travelling circus in exchange for a rare parrot with a long red beard.
Then the Three Fat Men said to me:
'Take out the boy's heart and make him an iron heart instead.'
But I refused.
I said a human being could not be deprived of his human heart.
I said that no heart, neither one of iron, nor ice, nor gold, could be given to a person instead of his real, human heart.
I was put in a cage, and from that day on they began telling the boy that he had an iron heart.
They wanted him to believe that and to be cruel and mean.
I lived in a cage among wild beasts for eight long years.
I became covered with hair and my teeth grew long and yellow, but I have not forgotten you.
I want you to forgive me.
We were all robbed and fooled by the Three Fat Men, we were the slaves of the rich and greedy gluttons.
Forgive me, Tutti, whose name in the language of the poor means
'Loneliness'.
Forgive me, Suok, whose name means
'Life Itself."