The Puppets of Spelhorst

The Puppets of Spelhorst is the first installment of The Norendy Tales, a new series from award-winning author Kate DiCamillo. Some of DiCamillo’s most notable children’s books include Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Each of her books explores themes about life and loss in a way that is accessible to younger readers. The Puppets of Spelhorst is a fairy tale that follows the journey of five puppets: a wolf, a king, a girl, a boy, and an owl as they learn the true meaning of Love Without Regret. The novel also explores themes of The Transformative Power of Stories and The Importance of Community in Hard Times. 

The version of the book used for this guide is the 2023 edition, printed by Candlewick Press in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death.

Plot Summary

The Puppets of Spelhorst begins in the home of an old sea captain named Spelhorst who lives alone above a tailor shop. One day he wanders into town and passes by a toy shop, where he becomes enchanted by a set of five puppets: a girl, a boy, a wolf, an owl, and a king. He is especially drawn to the girl puppet and asks to buy her, but the toy maker insists that he must purchase them as a group or not at all, for they share a story. Reluctantly, Spelhorst purchases all five and takes them home.

That night, he puts the other four puppets in the trunk and sits with the girl puppet. He stares into her violet eyes and weeps. He writes a letter, puts it into the trunk, and then falls asleep. The next morning, the tailor’s wife discovers Spelhorst passed away in his sleep. She and her husband are both puzzled by the fact that an old man had a set of five puppets, and they sell them to a passing rag-and-bone man (a junk dealer).

Each of the puppets has a unique heart’s desire. The boy remembers the toy maker telling him he was destined for something great, and he wants to discover this for himself. The wolf wants nothing more than to be feared and admired for her sharp teeth and has a dream of being in the woods, hunting while something else pursues her. The king, who is often overlooked, wants his royalty acknowledged and loves the power of song more than anything. The owl is known for speaking wise words but wants more than anything to fly away. The girl enjoys connection with others, whether with her friends, different owners, or even the moon.

The puppets wonder what adventure awaits them next. They soon find out when they are sold to a young man who brings them home to his nieces, Emma and Martha. Emma is older and more careful with the puppets, while Martha, the younger and more mischievous one, takes an instant shine to the wolf puppet. While Emma leaves to write a play to put on with the puppets, Martha takes the wolf off the mantel where her sister left them. Martha looks at the wolf’s teeth, which are the wolf’s most prized possession, and rips two of them out before leaving the wolf on the carpet. She then takes the boy and tries to make his toy bow and arrow work. When she can’t, she leaves the boy alone as well.

The owl, who was knocked over when Martha reached for the wolf, is mistaken for a feather duster and dropped in the cleaning bucket of Jane Twiddum, Emma and Martha’s maid. The king starts to grow anxious about his missing friends, and the girl puppet sings a song to comfort him. Their companionship does not last long, however. Jane returns to the mantel and grabs the girl puppet. Emma and Martha’s governess is arriving soon, and Jane thinks the girl puppet will be better off spending the day with her instead of listening to the lessons. The king is the last puppet left on the mantel, and he feels a deep loneliness without his friends.

When Emma returns to the mantel and discovers the puppets are missing, she demands Martha tell her where they are. Martha goes to the rug where she left the wolf puppet, but the wolf is missing. Earlier, Jane thought that the wolf was a dead squirrel and threw her out into the snow, where a wild fox picked her up. A group of baby foxes played with the wolf for a while, but when their mother returned, she threw the wolf outside the den, where she is now lying alone in the snow.

Martha takes Emma outside, where she left the boy, but he too is missing. The girls tell the governess that they must venture into the woods in search of the boy and the wolf. Thankfully, they find them both and return them to the mantel.

Meanwhile, Jane takes the girl puppet to a hill overlooking a river. She tells the girl puppet that she has always dreamed of sailing away and having adventures abroad. As she reaches into her bucket, she realizes that the owl is not a feather duster after all. Jane tenderly pulls the owl out of the bucket and holds his wings up so he can feel like he is flying. She then returns the owl and the girl puppets to the mantel; at last, all five are together again. 

Jane and Martha’s uncle helps them set up the room as a makeshift theater, and the girls take their places behind a table that is serving as a stage. They each hold two puppets, while Emma holds the king. The audience is hushed in anticipation as Emma tells the tale of a young boy who dreams of greatness. One day he comes upon a girl who is trapped by a wolf and saves her. The two fall in love, but the boy feels he must leave to prove himself to her and to her parents. She begs him not to leave and to be content with what they have, but he does not listen.

Next, an owl warns the boy that if he leaves, he will regret it. Still, the boy does not heed the warning. Finally, a wizard places a curse on him: If the boy goes to sea, he will die of a broken heart the moment he steps back on land. The boy ignores the wizard and sets sail. He stays at sea for years and finally returns an old man with nothing to show for his adventures. He searches for his love when he gets back, but she is nowhere to be found. Eventually, as the curse promised, he dies of a broken heart.

Emma then brings the king, who plays the wizard, before the audience. She ends the play with a blessing, hoping that the audience will always lead lives of adventure, look to the skies with wonder, and love without regret. The puppets are overwhelmed with the joy they feel from telling stories and hope that this is the first of many. The audience is captivated, and the sound of weeping can be heard among them.

After the play is over, an old woman approaches Emma and congratulates her on a beautiful job. The woman, who has violet eyes like the girl puppet, tells her that she once was in love with a man who left for the sea in search of glory. She never forgot her true love.

Emma and Martha’s uncle congratulates Jane, who sang for the performance. Jane is moved by the experience and decides to take her life into her own hands. That night, once everyone is asleep, she takes the puppets from the mantel and leaves. 

Years later, Emma and Martha recall how odd it was that Jane and the puppets went missing, and Emma says she hopes that Jane traveled the world telling stories with the puppets. The final illustration of the book shows Jane and the puppets riding a camel, doing exactly as Emma hoped.