This country drama from the Czech Republic, set in the early 1900's, follows the realistic adventures of a young man who must sell the family cow to support himself and his sickly mother, an ex-whore. When the Adam returns with his mother's morphine, she may have advanced syphilis, he finds her dead. Now he must slave in a local quarry. Adam is different from other boys. Not only did he come from a socially dubious background, he is also slightly deformed after a childhood fall. Still he finds himself the object of the butcher's mistress Rosa's affections. Adam is not strong on social graces and at first chases her away. Later he rapes her. Despite that, they soon are living together happily.