Progress comes to the remote village of Silesia at the end of the nineteenth century. Voyagers no longer stop over at the place, as from when the railroad was built. Local revenue drops alarmingly, as also the number of inhabitants, now in search of a better life in other cities. The calamity is greater when the harvest fails and the milk literally turns sour. The residents then try to find a scapegoat for all of these misfortunes.

     Simon Magus, the village idiot, is perfect for the role. He lives alone in a hut on a neighboring hill and more resembles a scarecrow in appearance than a human being. He earns a living cleaning out lavatories and survives on pickles given to him by the wife of the rabbi. The few people who are left in the place look on him prudently with respect, or with contempt, but he knows he can still amuse the children with his devilish faces and magic tricks.

     At times, the little devils that dwell in his mind compel him to every type of wrongdoing, all of which contributes to isolate him even further. Thus Simon, who wishes only to live in peace with enough to eat, falls prey to the interests of a powerful aristocrat who plans to make more money by building a train station.