The time is World War II and Juergen Siebusch (Thomas Stecher) and his mother (Gudrun Ritter) are retreating along with the German army, just ahead of the invading Russian forces. Both mother and son hole up in the town of Hohengoerse, where Juergen finds some work watching over sheep - and learns a bit about the facts of sheep life that he extrapolates to some advantage when he meets the appealing Amelie (Brit Guelland), daughter of the landowner. He first helps Amelie out and later applies his new-found knowledge in a barn, appropriately enough. As the Red Army draws near, Juergen deserts a hastily put-together "people's force," as he prefers the barn to the gun. Russian soldiers are shown sleeping and snoring next to their tanks, and the local fascist executed - the war is over. When the new Communist government sets up a land reform package, Amelie's mother's land gets divided up into small plots for small farmers.
The children’s film is based on Wenjamin Kawerin’s short story "Leichte Schritte". It centers on the ten-year-old Peter who is in love with his classmate Una. Much to his despair, however, Una is attracted to another classmate. Peter escapes into a dream world in which he spends a wonderful time with a girlfriend made from snow. As springtime arrives, the snow girl is threatened by the thaw. In order to preserve their friendship, Peter locks his "Una" into a cold store.
