In the vast expanse of the steppe, two shepherds, the old man and the young Sanka, guard their flock of sheep. The night is still, the stars shimmer above, and tales of hidden treasures are exchanged. The old shepherd tells of Yefim Zhmenya, a wicked man who used dark powers to cause illness and death, and of buried fortunes. He shares stories of cursed treasures and their charm, which only a talisman can break. Sanka is entranced by these tales, not so much by the treasures themselves, but by the enchanting and mysterious nature of human happiness. As the sun rises and blankets the steppe with its warmth, the shepherds and the sheep are united in their contemplation—pondering fortunes both material and metaphysical, and the eternal mysteries of life on the vast, unyielding landscape.