The last gnomes in Britain live by a Warwickshire brook. Their names are Dodder, Baldmoney, Cloudberry, and Sneezewort, and their home is under an oak tree which grows on the banks of the Folly. Cloudberry decides to go and explore - he wants to find out what lies beyond the Folly. But when he doesn't return, it is up to his three remaining brothers to build a boat and set out to find him. This is the story of the brothers' epic journey in search of Cloudberry and is set against the background of the English countryside, beginning in spring, continuing through summer, and concluding in autumn, when the first frosts are starting to arrive.