The teacher Václav goes every evening to watch the princess skating on the frozen lake, but he doesn't admit to himself that he is in love with her. One day, the star Denicka, the fiancee of the radiant Sirius, who was knocked down by the jealous Proxima, shows up at his house. Every star on earth is fading, but pure, selfless love can give it strength. When Denicka discovers that Václav loves the princess, she decides to help their love and thus save herself. But Proxima is determined not to give up and to do anything to shine next to Sirius instead of Denicka.
After her father's death Maruska is exposed to the whims of her evil stepmother and her stepsister Kveta, who treat her like Cinderella. Shortly before Christmas, Karel, who made his fortune in the wide world, returns to his homeland as a rich man. The village girls immediately surround him, seeing their chance to marry well. In his distress, Karel announces that he will only marry the one who surprises him with fragrant violets, juicy strawberries. and a tree with red apples--in the middle of winter. Maruska's stepmother forces her to find those rarities for Kveta, so the poor girl sets out into the snowy forest, where she meets 12 old men with supernatural powers: the months' rulers.