Munio and his younger brother Milek live in a sleepy village in Poland where nothing exciting seems to happen. One of their neighbors is a poor man named Anton, who is so gentle that he won’t eat meat and he won’t harm so much as a fly. While the rest of the town makes fun of Anton, the boys’ mother is kind to him, often sending her reluctant sons with soup and clothing for the “fool” that no one respects. When war comes to their country, everything changes. The Nazi soldiers come marching into the town and begin to round up Jewish boys like Milek and Munio. Anton worries about them and their parents, and comes up with a plan to hide the family in his own home, putting his life at risk without a thought. Anton’s courage and kindness shine through, proving that fierce bravery can come from the most gentle of people.

Duration for read-aloud playback: 30 minutes and 49 seconds.