'In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines...' When Madeline and her friend, Pepito, get left behind at the Gypsy Carnival, Miss Clavel is terribly worried. But the two friends are actually having a wonderful time, learning all sorts of circus skills! Will Madeline and Pepito ever return home? The small but feisty heroine, Madeline and her charming Parisian world have been loved by children an adults alike for seventy years.