In his time living in the peaceful village of Frog's End, the Colonel has learned that although the place might look as lively as a stagnant pond, beneath the surface there is plenty going on. But after recovering from a nasty bout of flu, the Colonel's most pressing concerns are of a prosaic nature his new garden shed, and the terrace that his friendly neighbour, Naomi, has talked him into having built. When he receives a letter from an old friend...