 Pograbek is a village philosopher with an unconventional way of looking at the world. He makes his living by killing old horses, undertaking this thankless work because together with his wife he is saving money to purchase a child. This is Pograbek s personal tragedy that he is infertile. Unfortunately, the pregnant girl who promised to hive birth to a child for him, changes her mind and backs out of the agreement. She doesn t want to give up the child. Her boyfriend suggests another solution to Pograbek: that the blacksmith s assistant, a provincial gigolo Materka, should make Pograbek s wife pregnant. But Materka takes the woman to his house. Pograbek is determined to fight and with a butcher s knife in his hand stands out against strong Materka...