The shoemaker lives in a small cottage with his large family. Every day he toils away, making boots so his family can eat. The shoemaker's sickly youngest son, Aron, often sits beside him. The doctor has warned the shoemaker that little Aron might not live long enough to see next summer.The shoemaker longs to make more shoes to feed his family, but the cottage gets so dark, he must stop working before the sun goes down. One day the shoemaker and Aron spot something at the market—a b...

Late one autumn, Aino’s father sets off on the road with the other village men. Little Aino doesn’t quite understand why. During the cold winter days, scary noises start to echo from the nearby forest.The family is forced to leave their home, their own village shop, and Aino’s playhouse. They leave for the train station in such a hurry that Aino can hardly keep up with the others.Near the playhouse, the eyes of the child and a foreign soldier meet. When Aino escapes, her rag ...