Harriet Hamsterbone is not a typical princess. She may be quite stunning in the rodent realm, but she is not so great at trailing around the palace looking lovely or sighing a lot. The truth is, Harriet finds the royal life rather dull.

One day, though, Harriet's parents tell her of the curse that a rat placed on her at birth, dooming her to prick her finger on a hamster wheel when she's 12 and fall into a deep sleep. For Harriet, this is the most wonderful news ever because it means she's invincible until she is 12! After all, no good curse goes to waste. And so begins a grand life of adventure with her trusty riding quail, Mumfrey, until her twelfth birthday arrives and the curse manifests in a most unexpected way.