Muthu, a poor playwright, his wife Chellam and six children live in a banyan tree. Chellam cooks and cleans in other people's homes while Muthu writes plays and sometimes doesn't get paid – life is hard for them. One day, Muthu goes in search of a job. He loses his way in the jungle and falls asleep under a tree. What happens then in this story from Tamilnadu? The Ayyanar style of sculpture from which the illustrations are adapted is rich with colour and form.