The Mischievous Boy

In summer 1916 in Tashkent, teenage Qoravoy lives with his widowed mother and sisters. He gets scolded for mischief and is caught sneaking out eggs and lard to organize a meal for pilaf, showing his playful and mischievous nature. He hides in an abandoned house where he encounters Sultan the thief's gang.

Sultan's gang chases Qoravoy with a knife after he witnesses them. To escape, Qoravoy runs away from the city, escaping danger and beginning his journey outside Tashkent.

Qoravoy reaches a new town at night, where a local man offers him shelter in a barn. He attempts to help a sick bull but mistakenly kills a donkey, which leads to a chase across rooftops and him getting stuck in a tandoor oven.

Qoravoy sneaks into a merchant's party where he witnesses the merchant's wife with her lover. He blackmails them for food and money before leaving, showcasing his resourcefulness and cunning.

The next morning, a lynch mob accuses Qoravoy of theft. He confesses to various crimes, true and false, out of fear, which leads to the crowd laughing and him being released.

Qoravoy applies for work in an orchard but is warned about his lying. He ends up telling a humorous but exaggerated story about misdeeds involving the estate, resulting in him being dismissed with rotten apples.

Qoravoy reunites with his friend Aman, and they witness Sultan boasting about his mischievous thefts. Sultan forces the boys to testify in his favor, demonstrating his reputation as a cunning thief.

Sultan parties with his gang, bragging about his thefts and bribe schemes. When they start beating a quack-doctor, Qoravoy and Aman slip away, ending their association with Sultan.

Qoravoy returns to Tashkent, where he helps an old man, Khadzhi Bobo, who runs a cannabis den. Khadzhi Bobo hires Qoravoy for work, providing him with income and social interaction.

Qoravoy makes money working at Khadzhi Bobo's den and enjoys conversations with educated clients, but misses his family. He eventually provokes Khadzhi Bobo to fire him, ending his work there.

Having amassed wealth, Qoravoy returns home to find that his mother has recently passed away, bringing his journey of adventure and misadventure to a somber end.