Two conservative men are surprised when they find out that their wives are actually athletes.

Erkki, a journalist, suffers from epilepsy and agrees to be sterilized in order to marry his fiancée Helena. Unhappy about his infertility, Erkki begins to drink more and more, and eventually Helena returns to Helsinki to continue her studies. There she meets Associate Professor Sysikorpi, who falls hopelessly in love with her.

The press gets excited about a girl from a fish factory who accidentally wins the Girl of the Week beauty contest and writes an imaginative story about her as a millionaire heiress. Soon, the factory manager's son and socialites who want a share of her publicity are competing for her attention.

The boyish, temperamental chemistry student Elsa Kassel disapproves of her mother and sisters running after men, but when she hears that she's referred to as "ugly Elsa", she takes on a transformation. The new, charming Elsa tests her attractiveness on men and causes confusion all the way to her mother's new groom, Professor Harjula.

Two upstart families compete while trying to overcome the generation cap with their children.

Lauri and Anna are released from prison. They run into trouble when they cannot find work because of their past. Lauri obtains false identity papers, which enable him to get a job at a factory. A dangerous criminal named Asseri begins blackmailing Lauri, who is using the alias "Pentti Tahvana." Lauri's true identity is revealed in connection with the murder of Kaalep, the factory's night watchman.

Princess Sleeping Beauty is cursed by Tuonettare and falls into a hundred-year sleep, from which she can only be awakened by a kiss from the prince.

Jalmari, who does odd jobs at the harbor, rescues little Risto from being beaten up by older boys. The child is afraid of his violent foster parents and runs away to kind-hearted Jalmari. His foster mother Miina reports the escape to the Salvation Army, whose lieutenant Sirkka finds the boy in Jalmari's shabby cottage. Risto runs away again when they try to return him to his foster parents.

Three young men trying to find a place in society after the war.

Little Matti, who has been living in the countryside with his grandmother, leaves for Helsinki to search for his missing mother, Kerttu. In the city, he is helped by Taneli, a homeless alcoholic artist, and Salme, a girl who lives with her alcoholic aunt.