The first play by Viktor Slavkin. The action takes place in the orchestra between musical numbers. One of the musicians came to the rehearsal, having forgotten the key to the case at home. He just can’t open the case and take out the instrument. The rehearsal goes on without him, and the musician feels like he is falling out of the team. Those around him begin to treat him differently. Some are worried, others say: it’s good without him, he’s not really needed. During one of the intermissions, the director asks him: do you remember what instrument you played? Maybe we can call an imitator and he will imitate the sound? By that time, the musician can no longer remember what kind of instrument he has, he tries to somehow describe the sound, but no one understands it. At some point, he hears a rustling and crunching sound coming from the case. He remembers that in the evening he put a sandwich with cheese in it; apparently, mice got into the case, now they will eat the instrument, and the musician will never know what he played.