This is a story of an extraordinary Farmer, Ted, his sheepdog Rounder and their adventures created by the mystery and theft of a mystical jewel. The jewel is acquired by Ted during his travels in the mountains of Sylvania where he solves the puzzle of an ancient hermit who has been waiting for him for a thousand years. In the wood there are creatures of the forest, including the hermit's wolf, who have been transformed into animals because of breaking the sacred laws of the forest. The jewel has mysterious healing powers and, through it, Ted's farm and his farmyard animals prosper. The animals have adventures of their own, including cleverly outmanoeuvring a dangerous dog, and defeating a sly fox with the aid of little mice and a talking crow. The jewel is stolen by two rascals of the road, by trickery, and Rounder and his friends go in search of the jewel. Meanwhile Ted is duped by an unscrupulous business man into selling the farm. The animals receive help from a strange fabulous creature, the Gombit, from sideways land. One of the rascals has a moment of redemption after being saved from certain death by Rounder. After pursuing the remaining trickster they return to the farm where they have one last task to save it from sale with the aid of a courageous goat. The adventure ends with the appearance of a strangely familiar man of power. He bears a profound message from the ancient people of the Lakota.