A young boy accustomed to hurrying is whisked away by moonlit visitors to a strange realm where everyone claims they have no time. He wanders through neglected streets and shops, confronts casual rudeness and dishonesty, sits in a school where learning is dismissed, and encounters fantastical figures and animated clocks. The episodic narrative uses fantasy episodes to critique hurried, indifferent behavior and to teach children the virtues of attention, kindness, and making time for others and simple pleasures.