Jean, a 14-year-old orphan, sailing into Paris to help his uncle design an airplane for the Paris Exposition's flight competition meets a pretty young girl named Nadia and her pet lion cub, King. He ends up rescuing her from a woman named Grandis who is trying to get Nadia's jewel, the Blue Water. Nadia leaves the only home she ever knew - a circus - as Jean has offered to help her search for her place of origin, starting with the random choice of Africa...