A young boy and his friends accept their carefree village life as a given. In addition to their world of bicycles, swimming, fishing, exploring, and general horsing around, the boy becomes interested in his family's vegetable garden.

Years later, he recalls many events in his youth, but one of them stands out: his illicit visit one day to Mr. Drumlin's orchard, where he is invited to take away as much fruit and vegetables as he wishes.

Mr. Drumlin is one village eccentric among several, but when the mature man nearing retirement, the man who was once that young boy, receives an invitation to pay another visit to Mr. Drumlin's orchard, it takes some time for him to decide. Leave the near perfect boyhood memory intact, or make a return visit, to do -- what?

There are pros and cons, and he ponders for some time. But eventually, he makes a decision, and that decision leads to a chain of events revealing to him a face of his world that is very unexpected.

Or is it?