Even children in an over-technified civilization need fairy tales, and Mrs. Fairy Tale invites them into her world. The woodcutter goes to the forest with his children, Hansel and Gretel. While their father works, the children pick strawberries. However, they get lost deep into the forest and lose their way back. After a sinister night, they find themselves in front of a honey gingerbread house. While peeling gingerbread, the witch catches them: she locks the skinny Hansel in a cage to fatten him up, and makes the plump Gretel her helper. However, benevolent angels watch over both children, appearing to them in their dreams and giving them hope for salvation.

Anuška Klímová rejects the attentions of rich landowner Topol - a coarse and violent man. The girl is in love with Karel Nebeský. The gamekeeper Novák catches a thief red-handed on the estate. Topol makes use of this turn of events by allowing him to escape and telling the gamekeeper to plant the bag full of stolen items in Karel's cottage. The game keeper is given a bonus in his pay as a reward so that he can marry his girlfriend Vlasta. Karel is arrested and sentenced. Anuška, whose father owes money to Topol, is forced into marriage with the landowner. In prison Karel has fed his hatred of all people and, on his release, he builds a log cabin in the woods and lives there alone with his faithful dog. His female company is short-lived. Helena, a girl from the town, lives with him for a while out of a longing for some kind of adventure but she soon goes off with a rich dandy.