The Twits, the Minpins & the Magic Finger characters

Appears from the start

A spiteful, unwashed man who delights in cruel jokes, keeps caged monkeys, and catches birds for pies. Much of his attention is devoted to finding new ways to torment his wife and the animals around him.

Appears from the start

Mr Twit's equally malicious wife and frequent target of his tricks. She answers each humiliation with another trick of her own and shares his cruelty toward animals.

Appears from the start

The father of a family of monkeys imprisoned in the Twits' garden. Forced to perform upside down for a circus act the Twits hope to create, he waits for a way to free his family.

Appears from the start

A traveling bird who can understand Muggle-Wump and communicate with the local birds. His shared language with the captive monkeys makes him a valuable friend outside the Twits' garden.

First appears in chapter 2

A young boy who ignores his mother's warning and enters the dangerous Forest of Sin. Pursued by a fire-breathing creature, he finds refuge among the tiny people living high in the trees.

First appears in chapter 2

The leader of the Minpins, a secret community of miniature people who live inside hollow trees. He welcomes Billy but explains that the monster below prevents the Minpins from walking safely on the ground.

Also known as The Red-Hot Smoke-Belching Gruncher

First appears in chapter 2

A large, fire-breathing beast that hunts in the Forest of Sin. It drives Billy up a tree and terrorizes the Minpins by patrolling the ground beneath their homes.

First appears in chapter 2

A great bird trusted by the Minpins as a safe means of traveling above the forest. It is strong enough to carry Billy between their treetop homes without exposing him to the ground below.

First appears in chapter 3

An eight-year-old girl who narrates her encounter with the Gregg family. When anger overwhelms her, a strange power in her pointing finger can transform the people who have provoked her.

First appears in chapter 3

The Girl's neighbor, an enthusiastic hunter who takes his sons shooting despite her objections. He dismisses her anger and proudly brings home the birds they have killed.

First appears in chapter 3

Mr Gregg's wife and the mother of William and Philip. She is caught in the same transformation as the hunters and must help her family survive when their home is occupied by armed ducks.

First appears in chapter 3

One of the Gregg sons, who joins his father on a duck hunt. He later has to experience the vulnerability of a bird rather than the security of the person holding the gun.

First appears in chapter 3

William's brother and another participant in the Gregg family's hunting. The magic affecting the household leaves him with wings and forces him to reconsider the sport.