East Berlin, late 1970s: Because she doesn't really have any particular career aspirations, Marta becomes a nurse. And since true love is a long time coming, the 17-year-old seduces Monty, the young man next door. Then there are her parents' marital problems. Marta is in the middle of the exciting trials of growing up.

An aviator major who is staying in a tranquil spa town for recreation notices that the daughter of the station sister and the grandson of the caretaker cannot tolerate. Through his patient empathy, he succeeds in making Ninotchka and Waljerka friends. When the officer gets seriously ill, only a spring messenger can give him new strength. Both children want to grow a tulip from a bulb together. Her unshakable faith in it and the childlike naive confidence convey the major new courage to life.