The story begins as a woman named Sara looks upon her payload as she is taking a carriage ride across the Finnish countryside to where her six-year-old daughter Katri has been residing with her grandparents. A cowpoke's cautionary challenge becomes the forum by which Sara explains that she has had to work abroad for protracted periods of time as evidenced by her previous visit having taken place the year before -- a dynamic that has driven Katri to perch on a bridge railing oblivious to how worried her grandparents Hilda and Julius Ukonniemi are about her. A very sentimental mother-daughter reunion gives way to Katri exchanging notes with Sara about the lives they have led before Sara presents Katri her payload -- an energetic dachshund puppy. Katri becomes extremely fond of the dachshund puppy which she names Aapeli whose immense affection and situational utility does very little to compensate for Sara's protracted absence during which the Colossal War in Europe extinguishes all correspondence and finding to her horror that her grandparents' micro-economy is in a bad way even without a large bear that thinks of Katri and her grandparents as food before Aapeli barks some trepidation into the large ursine. Even as the male villagers slay the bear that they think is why another farm lost two cows and Aapeli barks an injunction against proximity to the forest to the calf, it ultimately offers very cold comfort to Katri who does not like the necessity of selling a cow that she is fond of -- and that a bear has decided for the cow being its next meal along with her grandpa.

The ambiance is tense and awkward Katri awaits her grandfather's return with Aapeli and the calf Juura who seem to have sensed the presence of a deviant diagnostic as if by telepathy; while Katri prepares the sauna galvanized by the prospect of some new clothes, Katri's grandfather Julius struggles to make his way home to repair the damage caused by the bear. Much to Katri's anguish, a bear has killed Juura's mother and damaged the family micro-economy to the point where Katri gives some serious thought to offering her labor to the other farmers -- the divergent concourse thereof inflaming the aftermath of Katri's grandfather having damaged himself even more by going in the sauna. While Katri's attempt the next morning to make her case of offering her labor to the other farmers to him is unsuccessful, Julius does acknowledge the money problems of the farm but would rather see Katri fulfill the much grander plans he has for her. Upon setting course to appraise Juura's status, Katri coming upon a schoolboy named Martti playing hooky from school ultimately becomes the genesis for the two kids' The grass is greener on the other side exchange of personal perspectives that branches into a demonstration of Aapeli's great situational utility in herding animals and a lucrative friendship -- if Martti succeeds in finding a job for Katri.

An impromptu geography lesson about Finland swiftly yields to a church service that illuminates the scope of damage Katri's grandfather has taken at the hands of a bear prior Katri beginning her home commute when Martti intercepts her to signal an interest in a fishing trip to temper the news of no headway being made to learn of any job openings; unfortunately, Martti wanders into the wrath of his elder sister Mari whose deflection succeeds the ashes of the mission charged him. While Julius compares notes with his wife Hilda about Martti and how to weather the storm ahead, Martti and Katri begin their angler outing oblivious to the deteriorating weather conditions building above them which forces the two kids to take shelter in a cave when their boat is swept from its mooring; now marooned on the island, Martti finds the courage to explain Katri a significant ethical issue of his family employing her before resolving to gather data from the commerce his family prosecutes. Aapeli rises to the occasion as the ultimate skeleton key to Katri and Martti successfully forestalling hypothermia prior to Julius's arrival on the island; unfortunately, Julius arrives too late to proactively forestall Katri and Martti catching a cold as a memento of the ordeal.

A typical quiet evening becomes the backdrop for an ordinary home commute with Juura to become extraordinary when Martii accosts Katri with the preamble to a viable job opportunity on the Räikkölä-ke farm along with the necessary vector to be added to the payrolls; as an additional unexpected bonus, Katri's grandfather Julius is in the neighborhood entreating Governor Halme that he be bailed some wheat; while licking his wounds from having his exhortation refused, Julius is forced to rethink his perspective on Katri working now faced with the prospect of there being no food at all and reluctantly agrees to accompany his granddaughter to Halme-ke the next day where the cobbler explains them the parameters of Räikkölä-ke's herding job. Upon Katri and Julius expounding on several instances of Aapeli's situational utility, the cobbler sees things their way and agrees to write the requisite recommendation letter. As if to help ultimately seal the deal, Aapeli even gets into the act to once again demonstrate his situational utility when he takes the initiative to assume responsibility for Governor Halme's horse catalyzed by Katri's direction; after being mistaken for a cattle thief, Martti is elated upon learning the epilogue Katri has had visited unto her -- a new job within a week and Ukonniemi-ke being bailed 15 liters of wheat courtesy of a contrite Governor Halme.

Upon the affirmative reply arriving in record-breaking time and a lunch pack galvanized with her grandparents' sage counsel for the road, zero hour for Katri's journey to Räikkölä-ke with Aapeli is finally at hand!!! A chance encounter with the cobbler becomes the forum for Katri to have delivered unto her a syllabus of what to expect from Räikkölä-ke prior to Martii catching up to Katri; upon having explained the cobbler's counsel, Martii feels a little guilty about how things have turned out as he endures the physiological wages of the subterfuge that he has had to avail. After taking a recess for lunch, Katri and Martii find that passing through a nearby village is easier said than done when they are accosted by a quartet of boys that take an unethical interest in the dachshund; when it becomes apparent that the boys will not listen to Aapeli's Leave me alone!!! growls complete with a defensive chomp, Martii renders unto Katri his greatest parting gift: stalemating the bullies so that she can escape. The bullies repulsed and Martii sent off back to Halme-ke is ultimately cold comfort to Katri and Aapeli literally running on fumes as their re-affirmation of their course for Räikkölä-ke becomes the genesis of their initial encounter with a cowpoke from Penttilä named Pekka whose courier intercession carries with it enduring his crass comedy as the salary; as the proximity to Räikkölä-ke increases, so will the necessity of Katri acknowledging the hefty syllabus ahead of her.

The carriage ride with Pekka's derision as the salary quickly gives way to Katri finding nobody from Räikkölä-ke to greet her with instructions of what to do next; while shooing Aapeli outside, Katri runs into Anneli who finds it hilarious that the confused child mistakes her for the estate governess when she returns from furlough. Katri's confusion is only compounded when she finds the estate governess Ulla Räikkölä in the sauna making hotcakes apparently unable to focus on anything about her other than her fondness for Aapeli who has come upon a doghouse built near Katri's quarters perfect for housing the dachshund if Katri can get the estate governor Teemu Räikkölä to see things her way when he returns -- easier said than done when Teemu is in a bad mood and Aapeli is less than diplomatic with his volition for the doghouse!!! The ensuing caustic denigration of Aapeli is ultimately perverted to Teemu's detriment when Aapeli helps Katri to account for each and every cow during the cattle drive tomorrow; however, Teemu charging Katri flawless memorization of individual names and attributes proves far more daunting.

The previous ten days have affirmed quod erat demonstrandum what Ukonniemi-ke, Halme-ke, and now Teemu already know: Katri and Aapeli's prominent proficiency at herding cattle. When Katri finally has her lunch and is able to get going, Teemu charges her the guidance of the cattle to the southern pasture along with walking them five kilometers; while Katri enjoys the nice weather as she watches the cattle do their thing, Pekka comes over for a visit to appraise her status. As if to affirm everything as hunky-dory, Aapeli rushes off into the forest after a rabbit only to be greeted with scorn from Katri who gives the rabbit to the overjoyed Pekka; after a recess for lunch, Teemu arrives to appraise Katri's progress and deliver an ominous syllabus about his wife Ulla and the north pasture that has a precipitous cliff. True to Teemu's admonition for vigilance, Ulla ultimately proves far more treacherous when Katri recounts her recent encounter with her mother Sara when she signals an interest in having Aapeli for her own oblivious to the logistical problems that it would cause Katri; while Teemu is very helpful in keeping Ulla in check, the ethical imbrogilo that Ulla visits unto Katri makes herding 300 wayward cows like Viikuna on the north pasture seem quite a tame task!!!

Even though it should be clear that the safety of the cows is the alpha priority for which she was hired and that the errand Ulla charged her is an illegal order to never be complied, Katri dreads the prospect of Teemu purging her from the payrolls on Ulla's behalf if she stands her ground but also remembers having it explained that Ulla is not all there upstairs; commiserating Ulla's anguish for her late daughter Leena and reasoning that Aapeli alone is enough to keep the placid herd in check, Katri decides for the errand in spite of Aapeli's protests and oblivious to Pekka sensing a deviant diagnostic when she races by him. Katri's destination is Ulla's friend Kivi who had promised to isolate a quantity of swedes for Ulla to make a small bumper crop; even as Katri makes her volition clear for the commerce rather than conversation and prosecutes her return commute with the payload, Viikuna decides to explore around the cliff in spite of Aapeli's protests against it -- especially when the other cows decide to follow Viikuna's lead!!! It ultimately takes a collaborative effort alongside Pekka complete with some strategic counsel involving all the cows' names to successfully effect a rescue; unfortunately, a flawless survivor ratio is of null utility against the enraged Teemu who cares nothing that Katri was only complying Ulla's orders!!!

Thanks to her collaborative efforts with Pekka, Katri successfully rescued all of the Räikkölä-ke cattle only to have endowed unto her a scathing castigation complete with a cane strike before Teemu has the true nature of the situation explained to him; still, Katri is in for quite a surprise when she finds herself inhibited by a cumbersome deviant diagnostic as the wages for her muddy intercession for Viikuna who had led the other bovines to the cliff at the north pasture in the first place. Martii decides for a visit to Katri as the method of choice for initiating his summer furlough along with introducing his disdainful cousin Helena who leaves in a huff; Katri's physiological deviant diagnostic now confirmed, Martii decides to intercede on Katri's behalf by herding the cattle prior to explaining Teemu the necessity of Katri resting for a few days -- an enterprise interdicted by Katri's obstinacy and Teemu not really understanding the full nature of the situation. Fortunately for Katri, Teemu cannot ignore the warm sensation of a fever nor the sincerity with which Martii promises to cover for Katri during this time; in spite of Teemu's qualms about his suitability for the job for which his punctual arrival should be a factor, Martii sets out to guide the cattle to the pasture but finds that Viikuna is not as easily appeased at the substitution of supervision as she decides for exploring the forest before Pekka makes her reverse course back to the herd. What everybody fails to realize is that Ulla is about to prosecute the ultimate course reversal as the many parallels between Leena's demise and Katri's illness prompt her to set course for the sauna to synthesize hot cakes, while Katri divides her energies between feeding her face and computing a perspective of Ulla having done such a selfless thing for her, Martii finds that securing Helena's cooperation is more difficult than forestalling a migration into danger led by Viikuna!!!

While Katri might have successfully dodged the bullet of adverse employment action from being sidelined with a cold due to Ulla coming to grips with the final agony of her daughter Leena, Martii Halme cannot escape the reality that he does not have the optimal configuration to successfully meet the hefty physiological demands of herding cattle like Katri does nor the stormy family politics he is forced to prosecute with Helena at home -- the commute thereof wielded as the backdrop of another impromptu geography lesson about Finland. Katri becomes the genesis of analytical and speculative expository concourse that evening when Pekka comes to Räikkölä-ke to appraise Katri's status and reflects on his prologue with Katri while Teemu and Ulla compare perspectives of the situation along with possible solutions if there is no improvement; while this is nothing insignificant in its own right, it is quite tame compared to when Helena objurgates Martii regarding the exhaustive epilogue of having to chase wayward bovines all day while predicting that he will require the entire next day in order to recuperate. What ultimately ensues is not exactly Helena's prediction but a close second -- Martii oversleeping the next morning and having to power-row across the lake to Räikkölä-ke against Helena's protests and threats to blow the whistle; what Helena overlooks is that while Martii is not being exactly honest and open with it, it is an act of absolute integrity and maturity to keep a promise.

While his fatigued arms might digress quite vociferously, Martii Halme prosecutes his workday with the perspective that he is not wrong to have rushed across the lake to Räikkölä-ke where he has promised to herd the cows while Katri recuperates in spite of Helena's objections equally split between emphatic counsel to stay home and declaring her intention to blow the whistle to her family government; meanwhile, Ulla and Anneli prosecute a conversation about the latter's perspective of the former's recovery while the former having decided for housing Katri in the summer house charges the latter the refurbishment of a room to this effect. Unfortunately, poor Martii has to endure running on fumes as a consequence of power-rowing across the lake on an empty stomach due to having overslept through breakfast; if that is not enough, a power nap after an impromptu brunch becomes the backdrop for a thunderstorm to unexpectedly roll in the necessity of having to grapple with the cows toward the shelter of the forest. Upon Helena having explained it to him, Governor Halme is none too pleased at his son's choice of summer employment and heads out to express this perspective; meanwhile, it becomes glaringly apparent that Martii is absolutely in over his head when a ground-bound lightning strike panics several of the cows into running away deeper into the woods. Caring nothing of Martii's exhaustion from having to retrieve the absconding bovines and that Martii is in over his head, Pekka objurgates Martii's irresponsibility for leaving the cows unattended during a thunderstorm at which Martii snaps and gives Pekka a far more ferocious run for his money than his aristocratic appearance would suggest possible!!! Even with his truce with Pekka to ensure that all the bovines are present and accounted for, a mud-spattered Martii is anguished to find that his fortunes have ultimately hit rock-bottom when Governor Halme rides onto the scene with a lot of very destructive criticism for his cattle-herding efforts; about the only silver lining in this is that Pekka steps up to the plate to offer his perspective of Martti's performance being above and beyond the call of duty!!!

A foggy morning becomes the ironic backdrop for Katri's illness to have completely resolved itself and for Aapeli to roam all over the Räikkölä farm barking up a storm much to Katri's chagrin when Ulla and Anneli are also awakened; while both ladies are grateful for the wake-up call, Teemu is not quite done sleeping as he directs Katri to work hard. The silver lining this time around is that all the bovines in the herd have acclimated themselves to Katri; as if to congratulate her on recovering from her illness and becoming one of the herd, Viikuna decides to behave herself and lead the herd in giving Katri plenty of down time. Resolved to defeat her scheme of hiding Martii, Helena decides to pay Katri a rather rude visit criticizing the partially completed basket only to have Pekka ambush her with the perspective that Martii has not been in the area; Martii is actually at a nearby lake prosecuting a bountiful angler's adventure that he hopes to share with Katri who has decided on having her lunch break. Unfortunately, Martii and Pekka have not completely resolved their differences from when the cows ran away because of the thunderstorm; just as Martii and Pekka are about to throw down, Katri protests that this testosterone tussle will cost both boys their friendship with her -- along with the three fish Martii caught. The only seventh heaven that is ultimately greater than seeing Martii and Pekka bury the hatchet is when Martii agrees to do what he can to expand Katri's library; right on the heels of that promise, Ulla arrives to deliver Katri a courtesy copy of her mother's letter from Frankfurt along with a letter from Julius and Hilda that both indicate all systems go! on the homefront and to encourage her to hang in there for another year.

Another ordinary afternoon of minding the herd in which Aapeli learns the hidden expense behind partaking in free samples becomes the backdrop for the university student Aki Ranta to walk into Katri's life searching for artistic inspiration as he explains about the Kalevala -- a copy of which Helena possesses and Martii seeks to bail himself for Katri's sake; while Helena explains how he has arrived in the countryside only a few days ago with his spouse with whom her mother is good friends, Aki explains Katri his prologue as a university student as he draws one of the cows along with availing Katri herself as a model. Having successfully smuggled out Helena's copy of the Kalevala, Martii arrives on the scene just before Aki decides to search for fresh scenery not realizing that Helena knows where to search for insight about the deviant diagnostic she senses in her room; galvanized by the insight of where Aki's opening line is located, Katri finds that reading the Kalevala makes for quite a literary adventure that is not exactly for the faint of heart; as if to congratulate Katri for successfully reciting Aki's opening line, Helena arrives to retrieve her book in spite of Martii acknowledging culpability for his subterfuge as he entreats clemency of her on Katri's behalf!!! Martii's perseverance with his entreaties for Helena to bail Katri one of her books ultimately unearths that Helena herself shares Martii's very frustration with the Kalevala and cannot accept the fact that Katri has made greater headway with it than she herself has in such a short period of time; in a bid to restore homeostasis, Aki sets course for the pasture where Katri is minding the herd with his copy of the Kalevala.

Aki has done a wonderful thing by introducing the Kalevala to Katri and defeating the vindictiveness by which Helena expresses her clumsiness with that book; still, a little excavation will reveal that everything is not as hunky-dory as it initially appears when Aapeli is frustrated at having to do double duty since Katri is so engrossed in reading the Kalevala. Upon Pekka sharing his perspective of books being a headache for him, Katri remarks about the complicated portions that make sense with a little computation in most cases when Aki posing the question of what Pekka and Katri plan to do with their lives becomes the preamble of his discourse about the feeling of national pride galvanizing the Finnish people as they prepare to fight for their political independence from Russia; an impromptu tutoring session with Aki gives way to Teemu giving Katri a day off as thanks for Ulla's recovery. Martii arrives the next day with the news that Julius and Hilda are doing well for themselves along with that he has secured some books for Katri to read; while Pekka digests the food for thought of Martii playing with Aapeli, Martii returns back home to find Aki sending off his mother on her journey back to Turku. Upon hearing that Katri has Sunday off and realizing that Katri is not going to enjoy being around Helena, Aki suggesting that Martii and Katri spend time with him at his villa becomes the ultimate backdrop for the two kids to learn that insulting criminal laws with destructive conduct is not the only route to being arrested . . . the sole prerequisite is to gently rock the boat; much to Martti and Katri's horror, Aki's political activities are making the prospect of capsizing in a heavy storm an imminent and intimidating prospect for the Russians!!!

Morning breaks unto the Räikkölä farm when Teemu charges Katri guidance of the cattle to the north pasture where she and Pekka had to combine efforts to rescue the cattle that wandered too close to the steep cliff there and could not arrest their descent down the precarious terrain of the slope; realizing that she could have had hefty fatality ratios for nothing more than a careless error, Katri foregoes reading to endow extra vigilance unto the wayward Viikuna not realizing that Martti has been searching for her because he has to return back to his urban home. Pekka explaining Martii the presence of multiple pastures igniting a fast friendship between the two boys obfuscates Katri endeavoring to understand why Aki had been arrested as she holds the Kalevala in her hand -- the quandary that becomes the forum for Martii to deliver Katri the bad news. Viikuna's curiosity punctuates Martti and Katri's personal perspective comparison exercise before Martii's cousin Helena arrives to relay that the departure time has been moved up along with taking one last contemptuous dig at Katri. An upcoming thunderstorm becomes the ultimate forum for Katri to receive a new dress from Ulla along with the opportunity to some spend more time with Martti; as an unexpected bonus, Katri is also blessed with courier commerce courtesy of Martti who is combining efforts with Pekka to mind the herd.

An ordinary afternoon of minding the herd on the north pasture where Katri feels that she can work on reading the Kalevala without having an incident on her hands becomes the preamble for a novel discovery -- neither Viikuna leading the other cows over the cliff nor Aapeli giving chase after a curious fox -- but rather a lost lamb grazing on the pasture that Pekka denies is a Penttilä asset. Katri leading the cattle back to the Räikkölä farm sets the stage for a soliloquy about the climate patterns of Finland whose most prominent feature Aapeli demonstrates as he repels a pack of hungry wolves stalking the herd during the home commute -- forest fauna not being as reluctant to venture into the open. Back at the ranch, the little lamb quickly becomes the talk of the town when Katri has it explained that she will most likely end up as the sheep's owner considering the circumstances defined by Teemu who gives Katri the syllabus of her duties the next day where she unsuccessfully tries to emulate the bundling techniques of the adults. Ulla brings lunch out to everybody and signals an interest in having Aapeli's company while out on the town but finds that the dachshund is more interested in catching the fox that previously eluded him. Unfortunately, for Katri, Aapeli is ultimately not the only one with a score to settle as the pack of wolves Aapeli repelled earlier decide to try for the sheep in spite of Katri's fierce opposition; a lengthy battle and a nocturnal escort home courtesy of Vihtori later, Katri enjoys a hearty and well-earned meal after reading a letter that Martti has decided to apply himself academically.