Hans the farmer is drawn into war as a soldier. Returning from the front, having been defrauded of his pay by his own king, he makes his way home. On his trip, he encounters a witch who asks him to fetch the light from a spring. He keeps it when the witch tries to deceive him and he discovers her foul magic. When the light is ignited, a little man appears who must serve the owner of the light, but it only has power if the owner has faith in himself. His courage bolstered, Hans goes to the king once more to demand his wages be paid.

Schultze is an accordion player and newly without work. When the local music club celebrates its 50th anniversary, his taste of music changes unexpectedly.

The story of the goose princess and her faithful horse Falada.

The thirteen year old Janni is depressed, because she's still a little behind in her physical development. This leads to bullying remarks from her classmates. One day, a film crew comes to her school to find a candidate for the role of a Prince in a movie. They choose Janni, who they think is a boy. She takes on the role. At school, she tells her classmates she plays a Princess. When the moment of truth approaches she must find the self-confidence to invite the class to the premiere.

The clever but poor farmer Klaus infuriates the rich big Klaus with his mischief. But little Klaus always manages to get out of the most difficult situations and emerge victorious in the end. But one day, big Klaus has a fit and wants to drown little Klaus. Now he once again has to rely on his intuition and his wit ...

Although at first Ina barely takes any notice of Matti, the two teenagers gradually fall in love at their dance classes and begin their first real relationship. Their parents are upset about this development and try to prevent their children from seeing each other. But Ina and Matti continue to meet in secret and their first sexual experience together brings mixed feelings for Ina.

The story of Vera Lenz, a young and very attractive woman who is the daughter of a pastor and comes from a small coastal village on the North Sea (FRG). She is intelligent, determined, but also hungry for adventure, and she fascinates the world of men. She has developed into an accomplished secretary with excellent foreign language skills - predestined for an international career. Her meeting with Colonel Shelvin paves the way for this: Vera is able to take up a position at NATO headquarters in Brussels and, thanks to her achievements, she travels to many countries and meets countless interesting people.

The puppet player Sebastian Fußberg moves through the country at the end of the fifties. Despite his age, an unwavering dreamer and idealist. But also a torn person who cannot detach himself from the shadows of his past.

In the wintry Baltics, a century is drawing to a close and with it the era of the old Junker aristocracy. Pastor Erwin Wenger falls in love with the beautiful Baroness von Werland. This love plunges him into serious conflicts of conscience, especially as he does not appear to be the young woman's only admirer. Her husband, the ailing Baron von Werland, seeks to be close to the pastor. And it is not only the baron's health and the old castle that increasingly deteriorate, but the man of God's moral stability also begins to waver ...

Paul Stojahn spent many years abroad as a fitter. Now he returns to Berlin, no longer very young, and meets his grandson Markus. The news of Paul's return causes some confusion in the family. Grandma Renate in particular cannot forgive Paul for neglecting his family. Only Markus likes Paul very much because he can tell wonderful stories about Siberia and Africa. But as the family has a different opinion of their grandfather, a row breaks out and one day Markus receives a farewell letter.