Having "tumbled off a gypsy wagon," Jip was left to live on the town poor farm. When a stranger with uncontrollable rages arrives, Jip must build a cage for the man. When his feelings of sympathy get the better of him, Jip begins to care for the man named Put, who can be an inspiration and friend. When a crafty stranger comes to the farm looking for Jip and inquiring about his background, Jip's true background surfaces and a dangerous flight to freedom begins. When cornered, Jip discovers how much his love for Put has meant to the caged man, and determines to live his life worthy of Put's loyalty. A gripping story masterfully told. An abandoned boy turns to his only friend to help him make sense of his past, after a menacing stranger comes to town claiming to have been sent by his father.