A friendly hamster called Hamilton sells her teahouse in Ungerborg a bustling city in the land of Unger, and buys a country cottage in the neighboring land of Zanimos. However her journey is fraught with danger as she is pursued by evil creatures, and has to travel through dark and frightening woods, and along a magical mountain pass. Her guide and only companion on this journey, is a surly badger called Brodney who is a native of Zanimos. Later in the depth of night a large wolf like animal also makes his way to Zanimos. He is in fact an Alaskan malamute called Rufus O'Malley, a prince from the north of the world who loves nothing more than to travel in search of adventure. To enter the land of Zanimos Rufus will have to face the ghostly and magical spirits of a witch and wizard who once lived in this land, and still protect it from uninvited strangers.