Petr Máchal, Vladimír Dlouhý, finds his world tilting when his father marries Dorota, and Dorota dies soon after, leaving her scheming heart fixed on getting rid of him. She leverages her courtship to the Governor to have Petr arrested, setting a troubling chain of events in motion. In the midst of this turmoil, Petr crosses paths with the Count’s daughters, Angelína and Adélka, Dana Bartůňková and Monika Pelcová, and a hopeful yet complicated romance begins: Angelína is not drawn to a poor young man, while Adélka grows fond of Petr and becomes his steadfast ally. The contrast between social pressure and genuine affection threads through the story, giving Petr both desire and danger to navigate.
Petr’s fortunes take a harsher turn when he is conscripted into the army and subjected to bullying by the Corporal. Meanwhile, Janek, an inexperienced chort, is sent to guide Dorota to Hell but accidentally abducts Petr’s grandmother instead. Lucipher, angered by the error, orders Janek to fix the mistake. The mix-up deepens when Janek joins the army and loses his supernatural powers after soldiers burn his wolf’s tail. He befriends Petr, and the two form a bond that reshapes their fates. To restore his powers, Janek receives a new wolf’s tail, and together they escape the army, abduct Dorota, and haul her toward Hell.
In Hell, Petr works under Lucipher, who eventually decides to release him and grant three wishes. Petr’s desires are simple yet transformative: a magic coat that can conjure golden ducats, the freedom of his grandmother, and permission to take the Corporal to Hell. Lucipher agrees but also wants Janek to bring along the Governor. The coat alters Petr’s appearance and, with newfound generosity, he begins distributing money to those in need, drawing attention and sympathy from many. This act helps him lure the Governor and the Corporal to Janek, who escorts them to Hell.
Back on the earthly side, the Count also seeks relief for his broke principality and comes forward with his own plea for money. Petr agrees, but only on the condition that he may marry the Count’s daughter. The Count consents, yet Angelína is unhappy at first, feeling Petr looks like a beggar, while Adélka recognizes Petr’s true worth and happily agrees to the arrangement. Petr uses his wishes, retrieves as much ducats as he wants, and then discards the magical coat as the charm fades away. He travels to the Duke’s castle as an elegant suitor to request Adélka’s hand in marriage, but Angelína’s initial misgivings give way to a changed heart, and she expresses interest as well. Petr, however, clarifies that his chosen wife is Adélka, and the couple seals their union. In a fateful twist, Angelína’s own path intersects with Lucipher, and she ends up marrying him unknowingly.
