This summary section includes Chapter 1: “King Fred the Fearless,” Chapter 2: “The Ickabog,” Chapter 3: “Death of a Seamstress,” Chapter 4: “The Quiet House,” Chapter 5: “Daisy Dovetail,” Chapter 6: “The Fight in the Courtyard,” Chapter 7: “Lord Spittleworth Tells Tales,” Chapter 8: “The Day of Petition,” and Chapter 9: “The Shepherd’s Story.”

The tiny land of Cornucopia is ruled by the fair-haired King Fred the Fearless. All the citizens think that King Fred is a fine fellow, and he agrees. Fred’s closest companions are two lords. “Lord Spittleworth was very thin, cunning, and clever. His friend Flapoon was ruddy-faced and so enormous that it required six men to heave him onto his massive chestnut horse” (10). Both lords influence the king by telling him what he wants to hear.

All the regions of Cornucopia are prosperous and known for one specialty or another: baking, wine, smoked ham, cheese, and other delicacies. Only the Marshlands to the north offer nothing of interest except for a legendary monster known as the Ickabog. The creature’s appearance changes depending on who is telling the story, and parents threaten their children with the Ickabog if the little ones aren’t obedient.