Nello, an orphan in 19th-century Flanders near Antwerp, is raised by his destitute grandfather, Jehan Daas, after his mother’s early death. Struggling in relentless poverty, he survives by delivering milk using a cart hauled by his loyal dog, Patrasche—a mistreated animal Nello rescues and heals. Their bond transcends partnership, becoming the cornerstone of Nello’s harsh existence.

Possessing an innate gift for art, Nello teaches himself to sketch with scavenged charcoal, captivated by Rubens’s masterpieces in Antwerp’s Cathedral of Our Lady. His self-taught talent and dreams of becoming a painter clash with village prejudices, particularly from Alois’s father, a wealthy landowner hostile to their cross-class friendship.

A crushing rejection from a junior art contest and false accusations of arson after a fire on the landlord’s property deepen Nello’s plight. Widely shunned and evicted following Jehan’s death, he and Patrasche face homelessness. Desperate to see Rubens’s paintings, they shelter in the cathedral on Christmas Eve but are discovered frozen to death by morning—a tragic end to his unwavering hope.

Adaptations vary: the 1999 film diverges with a subplot introducing Michel LaGrande, a mentor figure who guides Nello toward survival and artistic success, softening the original’s bleakness. In contrast, the 1975 anime retains the novel’s tragic trajectory, underscoring societal cruelty and Nello’s resilience.

Defined by quiet tenacity and innocence, Nello’s relationships with supportive Alois and compassionate Jehan anchor his moral compass. His narrative weaves interwoven themes of poverty, artistic passion, and societal oppression, resonating across adaptations through unyielding adversity and fragile dreams.