Mouse, a timid orphan growing up in medieval England, has little happiness in the world. But then, when she comes across a puppeteer so talented that he can make the puppets talk and dance as if they were little humans, Mouse realizes that true happiness is within reach -- and the key is learning how to make the puppets dance What she doesn't realize, however, is just how much she and her prospective mentor have in common and how much, one day, they will share.