Higiro was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. At a very early age, he lost his mother, and soon he and his father had to run away from their country to a neighbouring country as refugees. Soon after settling in, his father also died, leaving Higiro to fend for himself. This is a moving story of his struggles as a herdsboy, his tender affection for beautiful Maria, his adventures as a long-distance traveller in search of urban work, his eye-opening frustrations as a petty trader, and his eventual success in business and in marriage.