The tale follows a dreamy, flowerlike boy who resists labor and is sent from his indulgent mother to a strict schoolmaster called Mr. Toil. He runs away with an older companion and wanders past hayfields, a building site, and a marching company, repeatedly spotting men who resemble his stern teacher in farmer, carpenter, and officer guises. Each episodic encounter highlights the ubiquity of discipline and hard work, framing a reflection on the tension between a love of beauty and the everyday demands of industry and duty.