Louis, a young trumpeter swan, is born mute. With the help of Sam Beaver, a boy who understands wild creatures, Louis attends school and learns to read and write. But the other swans are unable to understand his writing, and Louis finds himself unable to win the swan of his dreams. Louis's father steals a trumpet for Louis from a music store in Montana, and Louis, determined to earn the money to pay for the trumpet, goes off in search of a job.