The story of a remote Siberian village, whose main treasure is beautiful horses. According to a local legend many years ago beautiful horses appeared in the village by miracle. Since that time the herd has been protected by the villagers and were saved even in the time of war and hunger. The chairman of the village council lost public funds on unsuccessful business and decided to make up by selling the herd to a slaughter house. Everybody is afraid to argue or are to lazy to speak out. A 10 year old boy, nicknamed Sparrow, son of the local shepherd secretly borrows his grandfather's rifle, meets the truck with the horses, holds up his rifle and shouts: Stop or I shall shoot! The chairman cannot stand the challenge and turns back.