A shepherd made of stone had a son. Today the boy is old enough to set off to seek his fortune in the big city.

But the big city is abuzz: the tin princess and the silver queen have gone missing, and the golden king is desperately worried. He offers a bodacious bonanza to the one who rescues the royal ladies. So the stone shepherd's son begins his quest.

Only neither of the royal ladies is exactly helpless, thank you, and both of them have their own lives to live. Which is not to say they've got it totally under control, either. A shepherd's son with the world's smallest violin, a rare windflower seed and a piece of ever-burning charcoal might come in handy in averting a war between two imperial grumps.

And just such a war needs averting ...