The kingdom is ruled by the cruel King Anthracite, who is bored with everything in the world. One day he decides that only magical clogs will please him. The superhuman task of making such clogs falls to the cobbler Jakub. Fortunately, he also has the wit of his beloved Anežka and the magic of the permon Šišla to help him.

The story takes place in Italy, a country where terrorism and kidnappings are almost daily occurrences. Rampant banditry, injustice, coercion, and ultimately hopelessness stem from political events. Sunny Italy is no longer just a place of ancient monuments and tables laden with fine wine. Now it is primarily a place of ever-deepening social and political divisions.