In the Swiss village of Upper Wood, the children of the parsonage live amid schoolyard mischief, family affection, and the quiet rivalries of village life. When Ritz blurts out a comic complaint about being sent to bed early, a new excitement soon sweeps through the community: a wealthy, pale woman and a boy in velvet have moved into old Marianne's cottage, bringing a piano and unsettling the whole village with their strange contrast of elegance and poverty. As Sally, Edi, and Ritz rush to make sense of the newcomers, their mother and Auntie guide them with warmth, patience, and practical wisdom. The mysterious boy, Erick, is shy, restless, and still shadowed by grief after his mother's death. He joins the children's games only to drift away whenever music, marching, or singing stirs him, revealing a deeper longing he cannot explain. When he finally admits that he misses the song his mother used to sing, Kaetheli and Sally try to help him recover it, turning the search into a tender puzzle of memory and loss. Through lively dialogue, gentle humor, and the vivid backdrop of Upper Wood and Lower Wood, the story blends childhood comedy with emotional depth and a growing sense of mystery. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.