a boy named sho arrives at the house his mother lived in as a child, to live with his great aunt sadako. when sho leaves the car, he sees a cat trying to attack something in the bushes, but the cat leaves after attaked by a crow. sho goes to see what the cat was traying to attack to see a borrower named arrienty. that ningt arrienty's father pod takes arrienty above the floorboards to show her how get sugar. pod shows arrienty the kitchen, behind the walls and a dollhouse. before arrienty and pod can leave, arrienty notices sho is awake, and drops the sugar cube they got. sho tells them to not be afrid to him.
the next day, sho lieaves the dropped sugar cube beside an underground air vent he saw arrietty,but arrietty's mother homilywarns them not to take it because their existance must be kept secret from humans. still, arrietty sneaks out to visitsho in his bedroom, and the two become friends. on her return, arrientty is intercepted by on her father. pod and homily realize they have been discovered and decide the family must move out of house.
