At the end of the Great War, Andreas Pum has lost a leg but at least he has a medal and a barrel-organ which he plays on the streets of Vienna. At first the simple-minded veteran is satisfied with his lot, and he even finds an ample widow to marry. But then a public quarrel with a respectable citizen on a tram turns Andreas`s life onto a rapid downward trajectory. As he loses first his beggar`s permit, then his new wife, and even his freedom, he is finally provoked into rejecting his blind faith in the bene. Volumeence of both government and God.