Far away, beyond the edge of the horizon, is the land of Elsewhere. There everyone sleeps by day and works and plays by the light of the moon. One night, the moon suddenly stops moving across the sky. The Queen and all the people of Elsewhere are alarmed, for if the moon stands still, the grass and grain will stop growing and so will the dwarves' beards. The cows will not give milk. The fairies' songs will fall silent, and the brownies will play no games in the woods at night.

The Queen summons her Counsellors for advice. ""There's nothing the five fingers of the hand can't do"", says an old fairy. ""Let's ask them for help"". So Thumbkin, Pointer, Long Man, Gold Man, and Pinkie each lends his special talent to try to mend the moon and restore normal life on Elsewhere.