As an infant, Peter Nimble is found floating on the open sea in a basket, his eyes pecked out by a crow. He is rescued by sailors, who deliver to the nearest port. The town magistrates name him and then abandon him to the streets. He lives under an alehouse with a cat until the alehouse manager discovers them, ties them in a sack, and throws them into the bay. Peter, however, is able to untie the knot and swim back to shore.

Left to own devices, young Peter survives by stealing food and other necessities. “By his third birthday, he was an expert in petty theft and a known menace to the vendors” (5). One day, Mr. Seamus, an abusive “beggarmonger” who recruits children to beg on the streets, witnesses Peter’s thievery skills, and woos Peter with tales of riches, a huge mansion, and a dog—all lies.

Seeing enormous potential in “blind Pete,” Seamus sells off all of his other orphans to the workhouse and focuses all of his time and effort on developing Peter’s thieving skills. He locks Peter in the basement and forces him to go out every night and steal from the townspeople.