It is the year 1590 and a particularly sleepy winter in the Austrian town of Eseldorf. The narrator, a currently unnamed young boy, discusses the characteristics of the village and its residents. He narrates the book in the first-person past tense. Eseldorf is peaceful and detached from the rest of the world, receiving sporadic visits from the royals who own it. Its residents are trained to be devout Christians and are banned from accessing secular knowledge out of fear that it will corrupt them.

Father Peter is a priest in Eseldorf. The townspeople adore him, and the narrator remarks that he is “the one we all loved best and were sorriest for” (4). Father Peter is scorned by the public because he makes comments that portray God as loving and forgiving. The narrator thinks this comment is out of character for Father Peter, since he is a truthful man. He believes the rumor was spread by the town astrologer, who considers Father Peter an enemy since he disparages his practice. Marget, Father Peter’s niece, begs the Bishop to act on his behalf. However, Father Peter is suspended and his flock is transferred to Father Adolf, another local priest. This act leaves Father Peter and Marget destitute.