Janus Rechtsom, nicknamed De Mottige (The Pock-Marked), is an honest seaman with a heart of gold that belongs to Lena Doorn, the girl next-door. His rival Frans van Klarenberghe comes up with one scheme after another to seduce Lena.

A street singer manages to work his way up to the position of an opera artist, only to be struck by fate, and return to his life on the street.

The wealthy farmer Kobus Drost is asked by his cousin Verbeek to come to Volendam to discuss the financing of his boat renovation. The meeting with Anna, Verbeek's maid, makes a big impression on Drost. He convinces the young woman to go with him to work on the farm. Drost's older sister is not particularly happy about this, nor are most of the farm workers, who tease the stranger from Volendam. Kobus, who likes Anna, often has to protect her. When he notices after some time that Anna and employee Arend are very fond of each other, he becomes terribly jealous. As soon as Arend is called up for military service, Kobus takes advantage of his absence and asks Anna to marry him. She agrees.

Mario is a very successful violinist who marries Meina, a housewife. They are happy together until she starts a dancing career and becomes even more successful than her husband. Mario becomes jealous of his wife and estranges himself from her. They only become closer when his strict mother dies and their daughter is threatened.

In 17th century Holland, a faction of royalists is scheming to restore the monarchy and jail the De Witt brothers, who control the Republic. At the same time Tulip Fever is raging, and bulb-grower Cornelis van Baerle tries to obtain the secret of black tulips. Van Baerle will soon find himself threatened by radical royalists and rival bulb-grower Isaac van Boxtel.

Juultje, the most beautiful girl in Volendam and daughter of the strict innkeeper Barendse, sparks a scandal at the village fair when she dances against her father’s rules. She meets Sander, the wealthy son of a shipping magnate, and they fall in love, planning to run away to Brussels. Meanwhile, Piet, a loyal friend secretly in love with her, leaves for Canada to improve his future. In Brussels, Juultje and Sander live in luxury until Sander abandons her. Heartbroken, she returns to the Netherlands and finds work in Amsterdam. Years later, she reconciles with her father before her mother’s death. Piet returns, and at last, Juultje and Piet marry, beginning a new life together.