While staying with distant relatives in England, Americans Rowan, Meg, Silly, and James Morgan, with their neighbors Dickie Rhys and Finn Fachan, learn that one of them must fight to the death in the Midsummer War required by the local fairies.

When Terry wakes up in the middle of the night to horrible screeching, he thinks the Banshee has come to pay his family a visit.

A very superstitious old lady tries to avoid having a black cat cross her path, and in doing so runs into all kinds of trouble.

"Amelia Bedelia turns bad luck into good luck"--

The Brain does not believe in superstition, but when he tries to prove that superstitions are nonsense he starts finding bad luck everywhere he turns.

When Lola cracks a mirror, she is not worried at first, but when one unlucky thing after another happens, Lola slowly becomes convinced she is cursed.

"Mephisto the black cat lives apart from other cats. Shunned by the townspeople for being a harbinger of bad luck, he never gets to sit inside by the fireplace like the tomcats do. Instead he dodges constant insults and abuse. He decides to leave behind the world of humans for a peaceful life in the country, but once winter comes and he returns to the city, the townspeople find that they need him, after all. Still, nothing is as important to Mephisto...