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A2 · Getting started 190 words · 2 min

The Secret Room

Polly arrives in Prague to find the famous astronomical clock mysteriously stopped, meets elderly clockmaker Václav Novotný, and together they discover a hidden chamber containing his grandfather's mysterious astronomical calculations and special brass components that seem connected to the clock's malfunction.

Illustration for The Secret Room

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Polly and Václav go up. They climb the old stairs. The stairs are very old. They go to the clock room. The clock room is big. Big wheels are in the room. The wheels do not move. The clock is broken. Václav touches the big wheel. He likes the old clock. Polly sees a small door. The door is open. Václav looks at the door. The door should be closed. They open the door more. Old air comes out. They go into the secret room. The room has old tools. A box is on the table. Papers are on the wall. The papers have today's date. Václav is surprised. His grandfather wrote the papers. His grandfather is dead now. Polly looks at the box. Strange pieces are in the box. The pieces are made of metal. Václav tells Polly old stories. The stories say the clock is special. The clock can show the future. Light comes through the wall. The metal pieces start to move. They make soft sounds. Polly thinks the grandfather knew something. Something will happen today. They must work fast. People want to fix the clock tomorrow.

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