Unnamed Narrator
The protagonist and narrator of the story is an unnamed eight-year-old girl. She is strong-willed and passionate about protecting animals. One of her fingers is imbued with magical powers and can transform people into animals. She does not have full control of her abilities and expresses surprise and dismay, at times, about their impact on people. She is easily angered when made fun of.
The Ducks
The ducks are a family that move into the Greggs' home when they transform into ducks. They attack the Greggs and threaten them with loaded guns. They are generally peaceful creatures, but are pushed to violence after the Greggs kill members of their family. They later develop a peaceful relationship with the Greggs, who feed and care for them.
Mrs. Winter
Mrs. Winter is the narrator's teacher. She is described as being grouchy and critical. She is the first person the narrator uses her powers on, inadvertently turning her, partially, into a cat.
The Cooper Family
The Coopers are a family that live next to the narrator and the Greggs. They also like hunting and at the story's end, the girl resolves to teach them a lesson.
Mr. Gregg
Mr. Gregg is the father of Philip and William. He enjoys hunting and takes his boys out to do it frequently. He is portrayed as initially being a very confident sportsman, but eventually he renounces that part of his life.
Mrs. Gregg
Mrs. Gregg is the mother of Philip and William. She is very protective of her kids and is the first person to try and save them from being killed by the ducks.
Philip Gregg
Philip is the younger of the two Gregg boys. He enjoys hunting with his family and makes fun of the narrator when she criticizes him.
William Gregg
William is Philip's older brother. He also enjoys hunting and teases the narrator. Together, he and Philip later show remorse for their actions and change their ways, becoming more kind to animals at the novel's end.
Mother Duck
Mother Duck is the matriarch of the ducks. She is the one who spares the Greggs' lives by forcing them to give up hunting. She is bereft by the loss of her children, who were killed during one of the Greggs hunting trips.
Kids in Class
The other kids in the narrator's class are described as being very amused by Mrs. Winter's transformation. They point and laugh at her.
