In the Forest of Burzee, where many immortalitys live (such as Knooks, fairies, and nymphs), their leader, Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World (governor of all forests), finds a human baby abandoned and places him in the care of the lioness, Shiegra. A Dryad named Necile thereupon adopts the baby; later named Nicholas. Meanwhile, a shapeshifting Shapeshifting named Wisk is catapulted to Burzee over the mountain where the evil Awgwas live. When Nicholas reaches young adulthood, Ak shows him how wikt:mortality live, giving him a Magic (paranormal) sash that makes him invisibility. Nicholas sees that the humans, mostly the children, live cruel and unfair lives, mostly in poverty or child abuse (enforced by the Awgwas). Eventually, Nicholas and Wisk move to a spot near both Necile and the humans. The Knooks build a house for him, and Necile gives him a cat, whom he names Blinky. Nicholas travels to a village, in which he stops a baby from crying, and a girl named Megan talks for the first time. To help the children, Nicholas carves a toy cat of Blinky. One day in winter, Ethan the Cripple, a boy from a village, travels to his house to bring him a leaning stick. He nearly freezes to death, but Nicholas takes him into his house, much to the disappointment of King Mogorb, leader of the Awgwas. When he meets Blinky, Nicholas gives him the toy cat.