In the small village of Rátót, every male is called Béla. When a woman gives birth to her child, she names him Józsi...

Four good old friends - all railwaymen until the change of regime - will be the victims of the cutbacks. Many years later, when the old station has been removed by thieves, the former stationmaster of Honos village, Lajos Zsuzsa, receives a notice from the town to go to the station office. Lajos Zsuzsa, in order to get the four friends occasionally back to work, lies that the station still exists and that they are able to carry out their duties.

In a border town two sons of the local commander using stolen arms take hostages of eighteen girls in a dormitory, because they want to go West by plane.

1859. Exploiting the Austrian-French-Italian conflict, Kossuth sends Batiszy Kristóf back from the emigration to organize the Hungarian Legion. Batiszy's company gets into trouble, Austrians are waiting for them, Hungarian authorities chase them, people stand still. Demolition of the troop is the task of Görgényi László chief district administrator, who used to be an officer in the revolution once.

Ambrus, the canon pretender and Gerzson, the stinking rich lawyer, taking advantage of a sect and a fake hospice, are engaged in doing unsuspecting old people out of their money.