Emil, a technical draftsman, is hardworking, always helpful, and somewhat shy. Because of these traits, he is often taken advantage of by those around him. Now Emil is set to inherit a supposedly large fortune. His landlady's brother wants to marry him off to one of his relatives. But soon panic and confusion set in. The inheritance consists of three full-grown lions.

When the successful trumpeter Jonny has nearly all his concert earnings seized by tax collector Weber, he has had enough: he packs up his trumpet and travels to the Black Forest. Along the way, he encounters the musical vagabonds Tünnes and Nachtigall; he initially gives them a lift, but after his car is also confiscated by the police, he walks with them to the village of Todtmoos. There, he checks into a guesthouse and promptly falls in love with the innkeeper's daughter, Rosl.