Pajo is a hardworking, lonely but also very rich farmer. His son Toma was, however, bored with country life and tried to seek fortune in the city. Short on money, Toma returns to the farm for a handout while Pajo tries to convince him to stay.

Poetic parable of children in war and their sacrifice.

One class of school children from a small village make the trip to Zagreb. One of the boys gets sick and the class is forced to go home. During their journey the train gets stuck in a snowstorm.

The plot takes place in Croatia during and immediately after the April war in 1941. The protagonists are a group of soldiers of the Royal Yugoslav Army of Croatian nationality, some of whom will join the Ustashas and the newly founded NDH after the war, and some the anti-fascist movement.