When fourth fiddler Sebastian loses his place in the Baron's orchestra, he takes to the highway--and soon finds himself dealing with disaster after disaster. In trying to rescue a stray cat, he loses his violin; in trying to help a skinny boy who turns out to be a princess, he falls into the clutches of a bear; and when he tries to join a theater troupe as an actor, he finds himself cast as a clown.

But Sebastian's a fleet-footed optimist, and he'll always find a way to outrace trouble, outwit it, or enchant it--and he'll keep everyone around him laughing.

Winner of the 1971 National Book Award

* "Infused with humor, high spirits, and compassion."--School Library Journal, starred review