The grandchild of a loyal citizen is born as the world is experiencing a heat wave so extreme that animals boil alive and entire cities evaporate. However, the land’s ruler, Papa Ubu, has declared that they are actually in the beginnings of a new ice age. He outlaws talk of heat and instead develops a propaganda campaign to convince the people that their suffering is really due to the extreme cold. His daughter distributes blankets to the people, and those loyal to Papa Ubu wear winter clothing to protect against the supposed cold.  As a final bid to prove his propaganda is reality, Papa Ubu places the sun on trial for abandoning his people and nominates the child's grandfather as the sun’s defendant. The grandfather is loyal to Papa Ubu so he accepts, despite the fact that his role pits him directly against the tyrant who takes the position of the prosecution. After Papa Ubu spends days making his case against the sun, the grandfather takes the stand and asks how the sun could be at fault when it is so hot out. Despite the truth of his words, the sun is exiled and Papa Ubu executes the grandfather.