Mike is a ten-year-old orphan boy who makes up in intelligence what he lacks in physical strength.  He escapes from his orphanage and goes into the woods after taking a beating from his bullies for the last time.  He uses his resourcefulness to scavenge the woods for supplies to build a fortress.  He stumbles across an abandoned train and uses it as the basic frame of his fort, utilizing found tools and objects as furniture and decoration.  He also uses a few personal belongings that he brought from his room at the orphanage to customize his new fort and make it feel more like home.

A witch secludes herself in an abandoned pirate ship in the Caribbean so that she can practice witchcraft.  Collecting scavenged materials, her lair is extremely messy.  She has captured a little boy named Mike (not the same "Mike" from Mike's Fort) and plans to experiment on him with potions and spells.

A gnome who lives in a Japanese garden decides to open up an Asian-themed restaurant for all the small creatures of the garden.  Using tools and materials within the garden, he is able to build his business and create a warm and welcoming environment.