Johanka had a fling with a well digger she had not met before and who, she was most likely certain, would never be around again. Just before his departure, they have sex and she eventually becomes single mother of a baby girl. Now, 18 years later, her daughter Paulina commutes by bus to work in the nearby city, which gives the village gossips the occasional opportunity to remind her of her unknown father. A resultant conflict with her mother makes Paulina take up residence in the city. Johanka, prodded by her also-single friend Jozefka who maintains that a woman without a man is nothing, begins to woo the new teacher Jarek only to discover later that he is married. Paulina, in the meantime, loses her virginity to the soldier Jirka who promptly makes himself scarce. Johanka fails to consider that she actually has a better life than some of her married neighbors, begins to see.

Young blacksmith Mikeš sets out into the world for an adventure, accompanied by the miller's assistant Matěj and the boy Ondra. On their journey to rescue three enchanted princesses, the young men encounter a mischievous old hag, magic, and traps set by the Black King, but most importantly, they face their own temptations.

The fairy tale tells the story of a very wise Japanese judge, Ooka, who, when judging disputes between merchants, slaves, and even mayors, always listens to both sides first and then makes a fair decision. With his tricks and correctly asked questions, no perjurer or swindler escapes his notice.

Inspired by the activities of counter-intelligence officers, Jan Prokop plays chess at every opportunity. In addition, he works with his team to uncover a resident network that attempts to recruit domestic experts to work abroad.