Many children live in a poor cottage, the oldest of whom is Ondra. The cottage can no longer support them all, so the father sends his son out into the world to learn a trade. On his journey, Ondra meets an old man, to whom he offers his last bun. The mysterious old man advises him on which path to take and also gives the boy a gift. On his journey, Ondra meets many people and proves his cleverness in each encounter. When he arrives in the city, he looks around the shops and thinks about which trade he could learn. He chooses a goldsmith. He is accepted and is so skilled that his master allows him to make jewelry for the princess, with whom Ondra falls in love. The princess is mute, but clever Ondra is sure to find a way to deal with that.

The joyful celebrations at the royal festivities are suddenly interrupted by a juggler's attempt to kill King Gregory. The astronomer Petr, who saves the king, is accepted into service for his deed. He teaches the beautiful princess Korunka to read the stars, but the monarch is not particularly fond of their budding love due to the young man's lowly origins. Three musicians try to help the two lovers with magic, and when Petr manages to save the king from death a second time, it seems that the astrologer's dream will come true and he will finally win the princess's hand. Instead of the expected reward, however, he is banished...

The story of a barely grown man who lives as a fresh postulant before vows in a community of monks. He not only shares with his brothers their world of contemplation, but also, as a link in a long chain, he takes those persecuted by the communist regime across the border to Germany. On one night's return, he witnesses a ruthless crackdown on a group of students fleeing from a nearby village where they had been on compulsory work experience. And not only that: that night, a community of monks is also liquidated in Action K (April 1950), and the returning Christopher witnesses their transport without being able to help his comrades.