The Boy with Green Hair 1948

Police summon psychologist to the runaway

Small-town police bring in a psychologist to talk to the silent runaway boy. Through questions, they learn the boy's name is Peter Fry and that he is a war orphan. Peter begins to recount his life story, answering questions about his family and upbringing.

Peter's difficult childhood with neglectful relatives

Peter passes from one neglectful aunt or uncle to another, never finding a steady home. The constant instability leaves him lonely and wary of adults. This troubled childhood explains why he trusts the psychologist only slowly.

Gramp gives Peter a home

Peter moves in with Gramp, a kind-hearted retired actor who tries to understand him. Gramp provides stability and warmth, giving Peter a sense of belonging. Peter begins to settle into a more normal routine, including attending school.

Peter starts school and the war orphans project

Peter starts attending school, where his class becomes involved in helping war orphans in Europe and Asia. The project broadens Peter's world and makes him feel connected to children beyond his town. He begins to see the bigger purpose behind the posters he has seen.

Peter discovers he is a war orphan

Peter suddenly learns that he is also a war orphan, just like the children on the posters. The haunting images make his past feel personal and urgent. This realization deepens his seriousness and sense of responsibility.

Overhearing war talk and hair turns green

Peter overhears adults discussing the world preparing for another war, deepening his fear and seriousness. The next day, after a bath, he sees that his hair has turned green. Taunts from townspeople and peers drive him to flee.

Orphan children appear in the woods

In a lonely part of the woods, the children from posters materialize as if by magic. They tell him that he is a war orphan with a mission: warn others about the dangers of war for children. He accepts this calling and resolves to spread the message.

Town's pressure to shave and suppress difference

Peter returns to town, and his difference provokes hostility from townspeople and peers. They urge Gramp to have Peter shave his hair so it might grow back normally, questioning his message and identity.

Return to the woods; schoolyard chase

Peter heads back to the woods to seek the poster children, but is chased by a group of schoolboys who attempt to cut his hair. The pursuit underscores the town’s resistance to his message and his own resolve. He remains committed to telling people about the dangers of war for children.

Hair shaved and night departure

Peter decides to have his head shaved, and the town barber performs the deed. He then leaves home in the middle of the night, wearing a baseball cap and carrying a baseball bat. This bold move signals a turning point in his life.

Present-day therapy: belief over hair color

Back in the present, the psychologist tells Peter that true belief drives action and that hair color matters little compared to the message. Peter realizes that what he believes shapes what he does. The session frames the story as a moral tale rather than a simple hair-based rumor.

Gramp reads the father's letter

Peter finishes his recollection and is reunited with Gramp in the station's waiting room. Gramp reads a letter from Peter's father intended for his 16th birthday, sharing beliefs about what is worth dying for and asking Peter to remind others. The letter underscores the theme of legacy and responsibility.