It has been a long, dreary winter in the village of Frot Obin on The Great Estate and now spring has failed to arrive. Whonose, his sister, Whome, and their friend, Penn Maegwyth are worried. Bo Bodkin, the Bodling, says that the answer lies with The Great Gert, a wise being living in the distant city of Ull.

When the three friends, along with some of the other villagers, decide to go on an adventure to ask the question of The Great Gert, Bo Bodkin cannot resist the challenge and the chance to complete what he couldn't in his youth.

Their quest takes them on a perilous journey where they come into contact with the legendary Ninn, encounter many threatening creatures including the Wild Smeaks and face a greater danger from the The Halh, the land beyond the Great Estate.