The story follows Pázsmáti János, a widowed landowner who lavishes attention on his ailing young son and decides to send him to Podolin to learn German. Nostalgic memories of his own schooldays lead him to travel with the boy, where they meet the kindly old teacher Budeusz, who arranges the placement of Hungarian pupils with Szepes host families. Scenes of the journey, the merry selection of children by local women, and the warm domestic care the boys receive illuminate communal customs, parental anxieties, and a mood of affectionate reminiscence about small-town rituals and hopes for the child’s future.