The narrator and protagonist, Thomas Peaceful, reflects on his past while in a hay barn near the front lines in Belgium during World War I, determined to stay awake throughout the night. As he awaits his brother’s execution, the nearly 18-year-old soldier examines his memories of their childhood in the English countryside.

On his first day of school, Thomas is anxious and uncomfortable, dreading the day ahead. His older brother, Charlie Peaceful, tries to comfort him, offering him a piggyback ride.

Approaching school, Thomas notices a dead crow hanging from a fence. The unsettling sight evokes two memories within him. He first remembers a day when he stumbled upon a nest of robin eggs at the site of his father’s grave. He contemplated adding the eggs to his collection of blackbird and pigeon eggs. However, Thomas hesitated as he locked eyes with the robin. The bird’s watchful gaze reminded him of his late father, James Peaceful. At that moment, Thomas remembered his father’s funeral. His family had placed some belongings into his father’s grave, but Thomas, who was holding the gloves that his father wore on the day he passed, struggled to do the same.