This is a fascinating tale about a young boy mercilessly whipped by his teacher then later ordered to stand on the bench for the rest of the school term. No longer involved in school work although important exams are close, he gazes through the window and daydreams about a an American P40 shooting down a Messerschmitt 109, and reflects on his earlier middle class life, and later his impoverished existence after his mother dies. Set in the war years, it portrays an intriguing window on how destitute persons survived in third world countries, their street games, home-made toys, and basic fare.