War takes its cruel toll, which everyone must pay. It hits a small Slovak village especially hard, where the struggle for a bare life becomes a test of human character. For two impoverished friends, Jakub and Maja, struggling through poverty is more than difficult. Jakub delivers sour milk from somewhere on his cart to the entire village and lives in a dilapidated house with his sister Tereza, whose caregiver and guide through life is the experienced woman Mara, who provides herself with money from seduced soldiers. Maja, on the other hand, is a foundling and homeless man who does whatever he can to survive the next day. The only consolation for the two inseparable friends are the circulating tales of a kind of promised land, where there is no poverty or hunger, and where they could both go. Only this vision, this idea alone keeps the two of them and the rest of the village on their feet, and gives them hope for a better tomorrow.

Two brothers - foundlings - are in the service of a rich landlord who has two beautiful daughters. While the younger is not only beautiful but also good, the older is pride and envy itself. So when the brothers encounter a she-wolf while shepherding and she gives them miraculous gifts, the older sister does everything she can to rob them of them and the happiness they can bring. Little does she know that the she-wolf is an enchanted princess who will not only marry one of the brothers, but also justly punish her wickedness.

In a school somewhere in the border region, a young teacher is trying to integrate Romani children into the classroom. But their families remain suspicious of education. The filmmakers have chosen a largely romantic view that does not penetrate beneath the surface. They have included numerous folklore examples, acting as the most attractive element. The real problems can thus only be imagined.