Ten-year-old Barbu lives with his poor family in an Ukrainian village. A promoter named Caruso regularly comes to town, offering to buy children from their parents, promising them a fantastic future in Berlin in his traveling circus. Caruso similarly lures Barbu to Berlin. But Barbu is not destined for the circus. Caruso turns him over to a gang of thieves who train children to steal. They punish the children if they don’t steal enough or if they keep any of the spoils for themselves. Under such brainwashing, Barbu resolves to become the King of the Thieves.