A village boy meets his tragic fate when he is sent to the city to work for a rich trader.

A man falls in love with and marries a prostitute, then has to defend her against malicious townsfolk.

Manas is hired to work for master Tatos till the spring, "when the cuckoo will call". There is one condition of the contract: if anyone of them gets annoyed with another, he loses everything. Unable to stand the day-and-night work for stingy master, Manas leaves without a pense of salary for months work. Next servant who knocks at Tatos's door is Manas's small brother, smart Simon.