A bankrupt circus act plans to revive its fortunes by disguising a diminutive acrobat as a talking chimpanzee. Things go awry when the acrobat falls in love with a beautiful tightrope-walker.

Three members of a traveling French circus--including Fano, the handyman--are stranded and decide to recoup their fortunes by disguising Fano as a talking monkey. Fano soon becomes a sensation, but his old war friend Pierre falls in love with Olivette, a wire walker, whom he also loves; he remains silent to preserve his identity. Bergerin, a lion tamer, steals the talking monkey and replaces him with a real chimpanzee, but Fano is mortally wounded in saving Olivette from an attack by the chimpanzee. Thus Olivette and Pierre find happiness together.