A child prodigy raised under a strict guardian sneaks out and encounters two down-on-their-luck showmen who discover his uncanny ability to outthink advanced electronic brains. They scheme to stage a public contest pitting the boy against a cybernetic computer to revive their fortunes. The narrative mixes comic scenes and science-fantasy spectacle while exploring the child's longing for ordinary play, the adults' opportunism, and the tension between human wit and mechanical intelligence.