The desperate poverty of his father, endless discord in the family, beatings of his always drunk stepmother - all this forces Jim to run away from home and become a tramp. A homeless boy spends the night with his comrades in the catacombs or in a carrier's van, and sometimes on damp ground. During the day he trades in the Covent Garden market, stealing whatever he can get his hands on or eating garbage. A happy accident helps him get out of the abyss and begin an honest working life. For middle school age.