In Ethiopia, a poor shepherd boy named Alemayu dreams of a better life for the future. After both his parents die, he joins his sister working as a servant for a bad-tempered and boastful rich man. Alemayu is challenged by his master who wagers the boy will not be able to spend a night alone in the bitter cold of the mountains. If Alemayu succeeds, he will be rewarded with a bag of money and four cows. But if he fails, he and his sister will lose their jobs.
Alemayu manages to survive a frigid night in the mountains by watching a distant fire and imagining he is warm. Chagrined, the rich man claims Alemayu has cheated and refuses to pay him. When they are ordered to leave their master's house, Alemayu and his sister must find a way to outwit the rich man and beat him at his own game.
