Joe is a lonely boy. His parents are always busy and he's often left to cope while they are at work. When he tries to deal with any problem, it leads Joe into all sorts of trouble. Also he's never in a rush and always turns up late wherever he has to go. Because of his lateness and not wanting to mix with other children, he becomes a prize target for a particular bully. Joe tries to keep it a secret and ends up making things worse. The boy who decides to pick on Joe lives next door. As Joe tries to keep out of his way things become so bad that he looks for help in a most unusual place.