The prologue shows a Swedish home, where a family discusses what "a handful of rice" can mean. The action then moves to Thailand and shows the life of a Thai couple, Pó Chai and Mé Ying, and their lives of joy and hardship in the jungle growing rice.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Hugo BjörneMr. Svensson | Mr. Svensson |
 Gerda BjörneMrs. Svensson | Mrs. Svensson |
 Sol-Britt AgerupMajken | Majken |
 Gunnar HöglundSvensson, boy | Svensson, boy |
| JJean ClaessonNot listed | Not listed |
| PPó ChaiThe man | The man |
| LLeonard Bucknall EyreNarrator (U.S. version) (voice) | Narrator (U.S. version) (voice) |
| MMé YingThe woman | The woman |