A young boy named nemo experiences a nightmare in which he is pursued by a locomotive. upon awakening the next day, he goes with his pet flying squirrel, icarus to see a parade welcoming a traveling circus. however, nemo is unable to see the circus since his parents are too busy to take him. that night, nemo imitates sleepwalking in an attempt to sneak some pie away, which acts against a promise he had made earlier to his mother, who catches him in the act and makes him run back to his room empty-handed. upon falling asleep, nemo is approached by figures from the circus parade.