Frau Bessie, once a madcap, aristocratic and modern Swedish fraulein, has become now a whimsical and conservative Swedish burgess after her marriage to Herr Thomas Graal. The destabilization of the marriage begins right at the wedding (which contains some hilarious incidents) when Frau Bessie announces the first Graal child must be a girl, creating a terrible conflict with her husband who is hoping for a boy. It takes a scandal to finally end the war between man and wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Gyurkovics have a dozen children the oldest of which, the twins Géza and Bandi, just preparing for their matriculation examination. When graduation day has come Géza refuses to set up but taken by force by the principal's henchmen. When dad Gyurkovics later dies, takes over Bandi goods while Géza becoming an officer cadet in the nearby garrison city.

Baron Silverbuckla is a high-grade bachelor who, during his visit to the seaside resort of Kalvö, is surrounded by loads of married young ladies and their equally important mothers.

It's the beginning of the 1800s. A feud between the people of Ödemo and Rävgården has been going on since the dawn of time and now it's worse than ever.

Dr. Wittich is a passionate speleologist who spends more time on his research than on his fiancée Cornelia. As a result, she turns to the rich industrialist Roy, whom she eventually marries. But her heart actually belongs to the explorer and so she is drawn back to him.

Based on the poems by finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the movie centers on the Finnish War between Russia and Sweden in 1808.