Duffy and the Devil was a popular play in Cornwall in the nineteenth century, performed at the Christmas season by groups of young people who went from house to house. The Zemachs have interpreted the folk tale which the play dramatized, recognizable as a version of the widespread Rumpelstiltskin story. Its main themes are familiar, but the character and details of this picture book are entirely Cornish, as robust and distinctive as the higgledy-piggledy,...

"Clem's friend Dewey tells tall tales, including that his sister Margot can spin straw into gold. The king overhears this and asks if she can spin some gold for him. The trio asks their kickball teammate Bigfoot for help because he has magical powers. Bigfoot agrees at first, but when the king asks for more gold, the trio must guess Bigfoot's real name for his help" -- Back cover.