Gruner has forgotten his train ticket to get back to the capital. He tries to buy a ticket but no one is in the ticket booth. He waits at the train station hoping that he can convince the conductor to let him aboard and pay his way later. However, when the train comes, the man who was supposed to be selling tickets signals to the train that it doesn’t need to stop since no one has bought a ticket. Later, Gruner finds himself inside of the station where a woman invites him to sit down and eat dinner. Her name is Fi. The man who wouldn’t sell Gruner a ticket sits down and joins them for dinner. His name is Pe. They enjoy a nice, warm home cooked meal that Gruner enjoys since it’s cold outside. They tell Gruner no trains are coming until the morning, so they offer him a room to sleep in. The next morning they cook him breakfast. Gruner eats breakfast as 3 other workers come in and begin their work for the day. Their names are Gill, Cho, and Gong. Gruner secretly watches as the three happily do their field chores. They joke, laugh, smile and seem completely content with their country lifestyle. Gruner continues trying to purchase a ticket from Pe, but he refuses. Soon enough, Gruner has his own list of daily chores. He completes them with a smile knowing that at least Fi and Pe are taking care of them and his fellow workers are also happy. One day, the rest of the workers invite Gruner to help them make Fi and Pe’s bed. He watches as they all spit underneath the pillows and replace them. He realizes that they all are in the same circumstances as him. They are all stuck at the train station trying to get back to the capital and Pe won’t sell any of them a ticket. Together, they devise a plan to escape. The next morning, they slip sleeping pills into Pe’s morning coffee. When Fi is outside watering her plants, Gruner goes to stand by the railroad. Hoping that the conductor will stop since Gruner doesn’t give the signal that no one has bought a ticket, he stands as still as possible. The train stops. Dozens of people pour out of the train saying they’ve been on the train for years and it hasn’t stopped. They cheer and play music, happy to be home. Gruner, Gill, Gong, and Cho all get on the train with a dog that sits outside of the train station. As they leave, they watch the big crowd of people at the train station and realize this is the happy civilization they were searching for at the capital. They fear nothing will be left when they arrive at their destination.