Pelle is a shy 12-year-old dreamer. During a family holiday he comes to realize he can’t stay a wallflower forever and is determined to change his ways, although the circumstances are far from ideal.

The old Valmorin died 200 years ago. The notary tells the family about the inheritance: the one who is terminally ill will receive the money. They all try their luck with getting ill before the other so one family member pretends to be deaf, another pretends to have a terrible back ache and so on...