On Midsummer's Eve, as everybody knows, you should leave a bowl of milk out for the fairies. Unfortunately-or fortunately-Fred Barber, an American diplomat convalescing in Yorkshire, didn't take the obligation with proper seriousness. He swapped the milk for a stiff dose of Scotch. So he had only himself to blame if the fairies got a bit muddled. Barber found himself in an Old English Fairyland. At the Court of King Oberon, to be precise. His task: penetrate the Kobold Hills, where it was said that swords were being made, and discover if an ancient enemy has returned. And if it has, Fred will have to deal with it (or them) with no proper instructions if he ever wants to get back home!