Little Fugitive - Plot Summary

Plot Summary

Joey Norton, seven years old, lives with his older brother Lennie in a lower-middle-class neighborhood of Brooklyn. Joey is too small to be taken seriously by Lennie and Lennie's friends.

One day, while their mother is away visiting her sick mother, Lennie and his friends play a joke on Joey. They stage an incident using catsup and a toy gun, so that Joey thinks he has shot and killed his brother.

Joey, who is told the police will catch and imprison him, runs to the nearest elevated train station and flees to Coney Island. He seems to forget his predicament and spends the day wandering around the arcades, pony rides, beach—a little boy's paradise. He gets money for snacks by cashing in deposit bottles, and spends the night sleeping under the boardwalk. Meanwhile, Lennie is frantically trying to find him, as their mother is due home soon.

Joey loves horses, and he begins hanging around a pony ride. The proprietor of the ride becomes suspicious that Joey is a runaway. He tricks Joey into giving him his address. He calls home and alerts Lennie. Lennie comes to Coney Island and, after a frantic search, finds little Joey.

Their mother returns just after the two brothers arrive home. She is unaware of what happened, and, pleased that her two sons behaved so well during her absence, says they will have a treat that weekend: a trip to Coney Island!