Summary

"Anticipation" describes the excitement one feels when waiting in line for the mysterious Night Circus to open. Written in second person, the narrator speaks directly to the reader, drawing out their excitement for the story. The circus is described in monochromatic detail, all black, white, and grey. This circus is special because it opens at nightfall and closes and dawn.

In "Unexpected Post," the magician billed as Prospero the Entertainer learns that a five-year-old girl has been dropped off at the theatre with a note pinned to her jacket. As soon as Prospero sets eyes on the girl, he knows that she is his daughter. When he complains that her name, Celia, isn't suitable for a magician's daughter, the girl grows angry and teacup in the room shatters. Prospero looks at Celia with interest as she magics the...