The narration alternates between Eiji's stay at the house and a surrealistic tale written by Mrs. Sasaki's sister. The tale's main characters are three anthropomorphic animals: Goatwriter, a literate goat who collects and writes tales and like Mitchell has a stammer; Mrs. Comb, his servant and cook, a hen; and Pithecanthropus, his handyman, a primitive hominid. They live in a wasteland devastated by war and inhabit a coach that travels around of its own will. After various adventures, they reach a pool at the foot of a backward flowing waterfall, a metaphor for death. All three jump in the pool.