Toby Tucker is an orphan with a secret. He owns a chest filled with torn paper, and a strange message: Piece your family tree together and you'll find out who you are and when you come from.

When he manages to put together a name, the most incredible magic happens.

Toby travels back in time and becomes his ancestor! He's already been to Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

This time Toby is magicked back to Tudor London, into John Bunn's life, and finds himself mucking out and mucking about as animal keeper to the king: 'I hate Scrope, Nellie.

I like working with the beasts, but I do not want to work for that man any more.

But who would give a job to a dung boy?' I think I could be a gardener.

I asked the merchant's wife, very respectfully, 'Madam, do you need a boy to help in your garden?' She smiled and said that when she does want someone, she will think of me.

I said, 'I can be found at the Tower, my lady, in the king's menagerie.' 'I know!' she said.

Everyone laughed. They all know where I come from because I smell of lion and dung.

I did not laugh.