The first chapter begins with a description of the title character, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. She lives in an upside-down house with her dog, Wag, and her cat, Lightfoot. She doesn’t have any family and says that she was formerly married to a pirate who buried all his treasure in the backyard and then died. She is friends with the children in town, who enjoy braiding her long hair, playing in her strange house, and digging for treasure in the backyard.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle had initially been lonely in the town until the day she saw a young girl crying and invited her in for tea. Eight-year-old Mary Lou Robertson had run away from home because she hated to wash dishes. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tells Mary Lou she is surprised to hear that because she loves to wash dishes and always pretends she is a princess waiting for a wicked witch to come home and inspect the kitchen. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle then tells Mary Lou to hurry, addressing her as Princess, and they begin cleaning the tea things. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle leaves the room, then returns dressed as an old witch to inspect the kitchen. After, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle asks Mary Lou if she now understands why she enjoys washing dishes.