Il Burattino begins in April 1942 and tells the story of Tino, an orphan, native to Varallo Sesia in Northern Piedmont, Italy. Il Burattino (a puppet), a gift given to Tino, is a constant source of entertainment for other soldiers, as the boy uses it to boost morale through imitating the king and Mussolini in ways that become increasingly derogatory and slanderous as conditions worsen. The Italian boy finds hope in the idea of fighting for a Fascist Italy. His determination is successful in proving his strength, but at the cost of some heavy realisations.