Summary

Chapter 1, “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Herself,” opens with an image of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Her dog Wags is at her feet, and a little boy is playing with her cat, Lightfoot. The narrator suggests opening the novel by explaining the identity of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and describing her appearance. The narrator poses a series of questions about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, including whether there is “a Mr. Piggle-Wiggle” (1). Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has no family but lives with her dog Wags and her cat Lightfoot. Her husband was a pirate who died after burying a lot of treasure in their back yard. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has a hump on her back and she tells the children it is filled with magic that sometimes makes her into a witch or a fairy. She wears a felt hat and allows the children to shape it anyway they choose. On Sunday, she simply reshapes it...