A crime story set in the second half of the 19th century. Krasl, a Prague schoolteacher, is searching for a statue of the Golden Buddha, which is supposed to contain compromising materials on the factory owner Riessig.
The war will also affect children's games. The children hide a French boy who has managed to escape from a prison transport. Language differences certainly don't matter when sporting talent is on display. The refugee becomes a welcome addition to the schoolboy football team, which is about to play against the German soldiers.