Picard is stranded with a Tamarian captain who speaks only in metaphor.
The Enterprise makes contact with the Tamarians, a people whose language is a puzzle, because they communicate in references to stories and myths. Picard finds himself transported to a planet's surface by the Tamarian captain, Dathon, who leaves them both stranded to face a dangerous beast together.
The two men struggle to understand each other while the crew on the Enterprise tries to decode the language. The episode is a classic about communication across cultures, and it is often cited as one of the best of the entire series. Its idea that people can speak entirely in metaphor has entered fan culture, and the quiet conclusion is moving.