Alligator raiser from the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, travels to his nephew's, and takes the maid Etelvina for his nephew's wife.

Colonel Polidoro is the political chief of the small town of Passaroca. Near the city hall elections, he decides to help his candidate by setting up an adult literacy course. For this, he needs to find a competent teacher and decides to go to Rio de Janeiro with this function. False moralist that is, ends up falling in the revelry, meets a beautiful dancer and invites the girl to spend the carnival on his farm. Drunk, he confuses the addresses and causes his driver to take the dancer in place of the teacher to Passaroca, which will cause a lot of confusion.

In the Rio de Janeiro Central Station, the infamous pickpocket Mão Leve meets Honorina—a Northeastern girl looking for a job—with whom he falls in love. Willing to conquer her, the thief decides to abandon his life of crime, but soon finds out it won't be easy.