When little toy soldiers suddenly become men in costume upon a battlefield, Cuthbert's Valley is in trouble. The Great Dragon Droppings require a place to play the war game Sledgehammer, a place to build forts and throw stuff at each other. Percy betrays his friends to play at soldiers and along the way discovers gold miners and a gold mine, and strikes a deal with the crow for the battle to come. Elspeth reveals her talent for espionage and Marjery is a warrior queen! The inhabitants of Cuthbert's Valley will lose everything, including their homes, if they don't take a stand and fight off the Dragon Droppings. Bows and spears bristle from the parapet and bushes attack the enemy! Pastries are dangerous weapons and Winston is a lad who dances to his own rhythm. Absolute mayhem ensues when the valley transforms into a Sledgehammer world. Book #7 in the Cuthbert series