This is the story of two runaways -- Ben Brown and his dog, Sancho -- who have escaped from a hard life in the circus to search for Ben's lost father. Tired and hungry, the pair are taken in by young Bab and Betty Moss and their mother, as well as by the Mosses' neighbors, Miss Celia and her brother, Thorny. Thanks to their kindness, Ben soon has a job, a family, and a chance to go to school. But can life with Miss Celia and his other new friends ever compare to the excitement of the circus? And will Ben stay out of mischief long enough to find out?