A man in his fifties returns from America to his native village. Everyone knows that in the New World he served a lengthy prison sentence for manslaughter. He retreats to an isolated quarry in the woods he inherited. There he lives like a hermit, gruffly disencouraging anyone to come near the place.

The farmer Christen, his wife Änneli, their sons Resli and Christeli, and their daughter Annelisi live together harmoniously on the Liebiwyl farm. The harmony is disrupted when Christen allows himself to be persuaded by the deceitful village clerk to speculate with his ward's money. As a result, all the money is lost, and the defrauded farmer has to pay the community for the damage out of his own pocket. This angers Änneli, whose great willingness to help is thwarted by Christen, who is becoming increasingly stingy. One harsh word leads to another, and soon the couple is facing a shambles. The children also suffer from the unfriendly atmosphere at home. Only a visit to church on Pentecost and the corresponding sermon make reconciliation possible.

The film follows a group of 14 Swiss girls during and after their final exams. It shows their little worries, joys, and conflicts during a time of transition from youth to adulthood.

At the age of three, little Wolfgang has lost his parents. Since then his uncle Eduard raises the boy. As a former concertmaster Eduard has recognized how gifted his nephew is and the boy learns the hard way. The 6-year-old must practice daily 6 hours at the piano and already impresses at famous music parties. When Eduard Fabricius breaks a leg after a concert in Lucerne and must go to the hospital, he can be persuaded by a pediatrician to grant some carefree vacation weeks in a manor for Wolfgang. The manor belongs to the young widow Elisabeth who soon grows very fond of the little boy. Wolfgang makes friends with 11-year-old Heidi and Jöggi, a boy his age who first saw a rival in him...

After the death of his parents, Beat Matter grows up with the Escher family. Their son Dominik is his best friend. As a young man, Beat enlists for two years of service with the Papal Swiss Guard in Rome. Shortly before starting his service, he meets Dominik's fiancée Jacqueline at an Alpine festival. He falls in love, even though he knows that Jacqueline is already promised to someone else.