Zosia lived in a three-storey block of flats at the end of Maple Street, where every morning the courtyard came alive with the bustle of children and the smell of fresh bread from Mr Valentine's bakery. Zosia most enjoyed spending time in the shade of the old, spreading ash tree that grew by the fence itself. It was there that her bicycle stood, red as a strawberry, with an owl-shaped bell and a basket full of traces of past adventures. One June afternoon, as the sun was breaking through the leaves, Zosia noticed something strange. The bike was exactly as she had left it that morning, but... when she got closer, she felt an unnatural chill beating off the handlebars. There was a shiny, emerald-coloured leaf lying on the saddle - as if the tree had put it there itself. Zosia looked around, but saw no one. She sat down on the bike and was about to set off when she felt the wheels spin a little faster than usual, and the sound of the bell sounded particularly melodious. For a moment she had the impression that the bike was whispering quietly to her, only she could not yet understand what it was saying. As she rode around the block, inexplicable things began to happen. The bike passed puddles without leaving water marks on the tyres. When she saw a group of sparrows on the lawn, the bike slowed down on its own, allowing her to watch the birds up close until they all flew away in one neat formation. Suddenly, Zosia felt the bike gently turn into an alley she had never entered before. This alley was like from another world - the trees curved towards each other, forming a long, green tunnel. The smell of honey and summer herbs was in the air, and at the end of the alley something shimmered in the glare of the afternoon sun. Zosia heard the rustle of leaves overhead, and the bike stopped, as if deciding for itself where to lead next. A light twinkled somewhere in the distance, and the sound of a bell louder than before made Zosia's heart beat harder. A moment more and she decided to move on, but then she heard quiet laughter coming from between the leaves of an ash tree. She looked to the side...