A tragic but captivating tale of a naive young Franciscan monk in the 17th century. Told from his point of view, he describes being sent to a remote monastery in Germany along with several others of his order and their travel through strange new territories. Meeting the local hangman's daughter, who is shunned and despised by the local populace because of her father's occupation, he is overcome with Christian concern for her misery and wants to protect her. The conflict between his desire for her spiritual welfare and what can only be called more earthy desires eventually causes great distress and problems for himself and the girl.