After saving a mysterious stranger trapped in a bog with a bucket on his head, Bimble receives the bucket as thanks. He soon finds out that the bucket is magic and will give him anything he wishes for (for twenty-four hours). However the bucket is also the object of desire of Dolly Clackhanger, the village’s exiled, vengeful witch in training; who wishes to use the bucket to gain the power to become a proper witch. Unbeknown to Dolly, her two new assistants, Bilge and Oiler, are servants of the glutinous Queen Kak, sent to spy on her to discern her power and threat. Bimble finds out that he was selected to receive the bucket, as he has been designated to be the guardian of Stiltsville and its wool, which is the source of all the world’s fairy tales.