One awful day, Moominpappa's chair breaks. This might not sound irreparable, but creative people are funny - they rely on certain material comforts for their inspiration to run freely. Without the chair to sit in Moominpappa can no longer write, and although he is brought new old chairs by the dozen somehow the sit differently, they weren't his chair, and they don't inspire him one bit. Moomin plays an important part in the destruction of the chair, but fortunately also the main part in its resurrection.