"Ladies and Gentlemen Stars! We have gathered here to draw up our annual report, to list all positive and negative events, and to determine whether the balance comes out positive or negative.”

“Oh, come on, don't talk such nonsense! We all know what the result is going to be!” There was a general murmur of agreement around the assembly. The chairman looked displeased and cast a reproachful glance at one star after another.

“We have lost contact with human beings. In their brightly lit cities they can hardly see us any more, and even the Moon is no longer receiving the attention it deserves!” a voice called from the audience.

“Yes, and all they ever talk about is meteor showers. And even then, it is only a few newspapers that write about them. Hardly anyone sends us a wish any more when they see a shooting star. So the balance is absolutely negative, and it has been for many years,” another star added.

“What are we to do about it?” asked another star, voicing the question that was asked every year. Most of the stars shrugged their shoulders, as they did every year.

“What if we went into their dreams again? Then, firstly, we would find out what human beings dream about, and secondly, they would think about us again. What do you think?” asked a tiny little star who was attending for the first time.

“Oh, nonsense,” grumbled a very old star, who was already glowing rather faintly. “Far too much effort for nothing. Do you really think human beings still have proper dreams?”

“But if we do nothing, it will only get worse. Even the children no longer know that they are supposed to make a wish when they see a shooting star. So I don't think Mini's suggestion is such a bad one!” replied another star, glowing brightly and still very keen to be active.

“Well, then we should decide what needs to be done and, above all, who is going to do it.” The chairman looked around the assembly. “Once we know how we are going to proceed, we shall have to put together a task force. And woe betide anyone who tries to get out of it!”

Now things became interesting. Several stars abruptly lost some of their brightness, others sank deep into their seats, while a few sat up with interest. But they were in the minority. The chairman noticed this very well and commented dryly:

“I see we already have our first volunteers.”

There was quiet laughter around the assembly.

“Seriously: who feels up to it and would like to give it a try?” The chairman's gaze settled on those who had not gone into hiding. “I was thinking of five or six active and clever stars who could spend a few nights slipping into human dreams - perhaps two in the countryside and three in the cities. And perhaps one on the ships that cross the oceans in such vast numbers.”

A few hands went hesitantly into the air. Mini jumped to his feet.

“I want to go! And so do Mum and Dad!”

He looked around and met the slightly reproachful eyes of his parents. They had no choice but to volunteer too, otherwise they would be dreadfully embarrassed.

“Mini, no. You are staying here.” Mini was just about to protest when the chairman continued:

“But we need you here. You will have to receive and collect the reports from our agents. That will give you plenty to do, and it is really important!”

Mini was not entirely happy about this, but then he realised that he would practically be sitting at the source and would get to read a great many dreams. That immediately made him feel better.

Six stars were chosen. Mini's father was not among them, but his mother was - she was better at slipping into dreams than her companion.

The way in which the agents were to submit their reports was decided, and Mini was even given a kind of cloud office.

He immediately grew two centimetres taller in the awareness of his own importance!

Over the next few nights, the first dream reports began to arrive, and they were very different depending on where they came from.

Old people seemed to dream less often and less vividly, mostly about their youth or their children and grandchildren.

Middle-aged people with jobs mostly dreamed about things they wanted to buy, or about nasty bosses and unpleasant colleagues.

And young people dreamed a great deal about falling in love, travelling and adventures.

And what about the space centres? Oh yes, they dreamed about the stars - but mostly about planets that might one day be colonised. Entirely practical dreams. No romance at all.

It was much the same with the astronomers. They were so deeply immersed in their technology that the stars had become nothing more than material to be measured and studied.

And what did the children dream about?

They dreamed about Father Christmas (or the Christ Child), whom they no longer believed in while they were awake, or about the Easter Bunny, or about a new games console, or about the children at school who were always picking on them. They had worries too, and worked through them in their dreams.

The sailors dreamed about their families at home and about annoying passengers - and sometimes about being back home and working in the garden.

And who dreamed about the stars?

A handful of people still actually dreamed about the stars. There was a storyteller who told children his dream stories. And there was a brother and sister who loved nothing more than sitting on the grass in the garden and counting the stars.

Counting stars? No, that wasn't quite right. They imagined that groups of stars standing close together were kindergartens, because there was usually one bright star among them - that was the kindergarten teacher. And they dreamed of flying up into the sky themselves and playing with the little stars.

Mini read all the reports and was disappointed.

Did nobody think about the stars any more and let them be stars, rather than merely celestial bodies to be measured and studied? Not even people in love thought about the stars...

But then the report about the storyteller arrived. Ah! He still knew what the stars really were!

And then there were the brother and sister. Mini became very thoughtful. This was really what they had been looking for. But how could they reach the children?

Mini thought hard.

If they could somehow make contact with these children, perhaps they could reach their friends as well. And through them, their friends, and so on. But how?

Children play. They would have to invent a star game. Mini jotted down a few ideas:

Birthday party — star game
School break — star game
Holiday, beach — star game

Perhaps even with the adults.

With this report, Mini hurried to the chairman and handed him the report, together with an appendix containing his own thoughts. Then he went back to his office and waited — for the next reports and for the chairman's reaction.

Patience, Mini!

The agents' allotted time was over, and the chairman called the assembly together. He summarised the results, and finally came to the storyteller and the brother and sister.

“Mini has a few ideas about this, and he shall present them to you himself. Think about them, and then we can vote. But first, Mini has the floor!”

“Well,” Mini began rather shyly, “I've been thinking about how we might reach the children. The best way would certainly be through their dreams, and it is important that both of them dream the same thing, because that is what makes the dreams remarkable.

“And they should dream about games - games in which stars appear.

“I don't think we need to invent the games ourselves. Children are much better at that; they still have imagination. But we could give them an idea of what kind of game it might be... a game that people can play together - and the more people who take part, the more fun it is.”

Mini paused. The assembled stars listened attentively.

“I thought we could give them the idea of choosing a star for themselves. That would be their lucky star.

“And the game - everyone gets a group of stars and has to say what picture they can see in them, or perhaps tell a story about it. “These are games that adults can play too - together with children. And they require several people to play together.

“That way, people will see us again.”

Mini was just about to sit down when something else occurred to him.

“Oh, and it shouldn't just be the brother and sister who have these dreams. We should visit lots of children!”

Then Mini sat down again and avoided looking around. For a while there was complete silence. Then someone began to clap. And finally there was thunderous applause.

And then things really got going.

Everyone had some sort of suggestion, and this time half the assembly did not hide themselves away. Many wanted to take part in the dream work, and just as many were willing to turn themselves into shooting stars, plunge down towards the Earth and grant wishes.

The chairman looked around and smiled to himself. This new spirit of enthusiasm amused and delighted him. He had not seen his stars so lively for many centuries.

“Right, friends. My suggestion is this: anyone who wants to take part should come and see me and tell me how they would like to help. Then we shall assign each of you a region in which to work and... off we go. :)

“Mini — you will take care of the brother and sister who inspired this wonderful idea of yours. I am convinced that you will not only be successful, but happy too.

“You deserve it.”

And so it happened.

Each star chose a mission. Some became dream companions, others shooting stars and wish granters. It was astonishing how quickly human beings began to make contact with the stars again - because even when they did not play the games themselves, they noticed the stars once more.

Mini was truly happy. He was allowed to go on a mission! For the first time ever - and he was so proud!

And so, high in the sky, a new star began to glow - small, perhaps, but unbelievably bright.