The narrative follows a boy named Tommy Smith whose habitual cruelty to birds, mammals, and other creatures prompts the local fauna to hold a moonlit council. An owl presides while representatives — frogs, toads, hares, rats, squirrels and various birds — propose and debate often comic schemes to punish or reform him. Individual chapters then spotlight particular species, describing their habits and specific encounters with human interference. The text blends vivid natural-history detail with a moral emphasis on empathy and the consequences of thoughtless treatment of wildlife.