Five puppets--a wolf, owl, girl, boy, and a king--begin to fight, boast, and reassure one another as they wait for a story to begin, one they could playact in, in the dark of a trunk labeled "Spelhorst." They all agree they must be a part of a grand story, and one day, when the lid is opened, and the puppets land on a mantel in the home of two little girls, they learn the astonishing truth about the world.

"Includes an excerpt from Kate DiCamillo's next Norendy tale, The Hotel Balzaar"--Cover page [4].