Siblings Kathy (Hayley Mills), Nan (Diane Holgate), and Charlie Bostock (Alan Barnes), who range in age from preteen to young adolescent, live on a farm outside of Burnley, Lancashire with their widowed father, their paternal Aunt Dorothy (Elsie Wagstaff), who largely acts as their caregiver as their father is too preoccupied with his own affairs to pay them much attention, and a farmhand named Eddie (Norman Bird). Having just saved some kittens, but not knowing what to do with them, they hide them in various spots on the farm without telling anyone while they look to God for answers, but ultimately to take care of them. It is on one of her trips to the barn to care for the kittens that Kathy finds a young drifter, who looks to be injured or ill, asleep in the hay, she believing he the physical resurrection of Jesus. She eventually confides in her siblings, who she is able to convince of her belief in who he is. They plan to treat him much the way they believe he should be treated from Bible stories, such as feeding him bread and wine, while they wait for him to awaken so that he can lead them, not only in what to do about the kittens, but about life in its entirety. Kathy's fear is any adult finding out about him, as she expects they would treat him much like he was treated his first time on Earth: crucified. Through everything, Kathy in particular holds steadfast to her faith in him, even when things logically don't add up to him being Jesus. Those things not adding up is because he is really Arthur Alan Blakey (Sir Alan Bates), wanted for murder. Kathy's faith affects what ultimately happens.
—Huggo