This was such a delightful story. In the Urwald, people live in clearings, surrounded by forest and danger. The path is the only zone of relative safety. But when his step-parents decide to abandon him, they lead Jinx off the path and leave him there in the dangerous forest. Simon, the wizard, is powerful enough to be able to go into the forest at will, where he discovers Jinx, and decides to take him in, saying he has need of a boy. Jinx is never sure whether Simon's motivation is really in Jinx's best interest, even with his unique ability to see other peoples' thoughts. Simon's thoughts are sneaky and slip behind each other. I thought this story was original and intriguing, and that the characters were well developed and fun to be with, even when they behaved badly.