The boy's father was kidnapped and held for ransom. Unable to pay, the boy devised a plan to cover his green cape in mud, hoping the smell would drive off his father's captors, who included a bear. Following the scent, the boy found his father tied up in a house. When the captors demanded money, the boy's horribly smelly cape overwhelmed them, allowing the boy to rescue his father. They then lived happily ever after.