Spots 
Heavy winter snow blankets the mountain village of Lenggries as the night watchman Veri walks his quiet rounds. His lighthearted attempts to flirt at frosty windows end in cold rejection, leaving him to dream of a warm hearth of his own. His quiet watch shatters when he spots smoke and melting snow rising mysteriously from a farm roof, signaling immediate disaster.
Vorspiel
High above the Isar river, the small settlement of Fall hums with timber floaters and forestry hands. Friedl prepares to return to his high-altitude patrol, pausing only to bid farewell to his mother. She cautions him against visiting the solitary alpine hut where Modei works, knowing his quiet longing for her can bring no easy future. Bound by service, Friedl climbs back toward the lonely ridges anyway.
Wer von Lenggries an der Isar aufwärts wandert
Life on the Grottenalm pasture consists of relentless chores, caring for sick livestock, and enduring physical aches. The elderly, hard-of-hearing dairywoman Punkl drops by Modei's hut to chatter about past regrets and old suitors. When Friedl arrives bearing a small bouquet of freshly picked alpine roses, Modei accepts the gift quietly, aware that every chosen bond carries a weight that must be borne.
Zu was brauchst denn du dös viele Wasser?
Inside the dim hut, Friedl voices his hatred for "Neunnägel," a ruthless poacher who slaughters game with a modern breech-loading rifle. Modei defends the passion of mountain hunters, yet grows visibly anxious as Friedl demonstrates how fast the new weapon loads. When her brother Lenzl bursts in offering to inform on a wild poacher, Friedl senses hidden secrets and leaves grimly into the gathering dark.
Als Friedl vom Heustadl zurückkehrte
Wet from hiding beneath a mountain waterfall to escape gamekeepers, the poacher Blasi slips into Modei's hut. Seeing the fresh flowers left by Friedl, Blasi contemptuously hurls them into the hearth fire, demanding food and warmth. Though Modei is bound to him by their secret child, Blasi treats her devotion as mere entitlement while boasting of evading the law along dangerous mountain ravines.
Eine Weile war Stille
Dawn brings no rest for Modei, who spends the night sleepless while shielding her hut's visitor. Friedl arrives early to guide the visiting marksman Benno up the steep crags of the Stierjoch for chamois. Up on the sharp ridge, amid heat and blinding sun, Friedl pushes down his own aching suspicion to keep his guest safe and focused on the hunt.
Das Grau der ersten Dämmerung
Discovering that his rival Blasi is the notorious poacher fills Friedl with rage, yet his instinct to protect Modei overcomes his urge to destroy him. Rather than dragging Blasi to court, Friedl resolves to guard Modei and her fatherless child from public shame. Evening after evening, he visits her pasture hut with simple gifts, playing music and slowly restoring peace to her troubled heart.
Als die Sterne funkelten
As dusk falls over the pasture, Modei sits outside mending clothes while Friedl prepares to leave for a two-week patrol. When Friedl gently reveals that he already knows about her hidden child, her defensive anger breaks into overwhelming tears. Friedl offers quiet comfort, urging her to stop grieving over an unworthy man and reminding her that true goodness requires courageously accepting reality.
Modei trat aus der Tür
The village of Fall erupts into celebration for a grand target-shooting festival along the Isar riverbanks. While local marksmen compete, Friedl arrives late carrying Modei's young child openly in his arms to deliver the boy safely to his mother's care. Stepping up to the firing line afterward, Friedl strikes the center mark, demonstrating his steadfast skill before the assembled crowd.
Anderen Tages, am Sonntag
Herders and local farmhands gather outside Modei's hut for coffee, fresh pastries, and lighthearted teasing. Old stories and lively zither songs fill the afternoon air as Friedl joins the group and plays a spirited Ländler. The unexpected arrival of Friedl's faithful hunting dog brings laughter, momentarily dispersing the dark clouds hanging over the isolated pasture.
Als Friedl die Hütte umschritten hatte
After the guests disperse and Friedl departs, an uneasy quiet settles over the mountain pasture. Punkl recounts an old legend about a cursed alpine meadow destroyed by a mysterious dark stranger after arrogant herders mistreated poor wanderers. Modei listens in mounting dread, feeling that the story's warning of sudden retribution draws dangerously close to her own tangled life.
Hinter Modeis Hütte saßen sie alle beisammen
Word spreads that Friedl was found battered and bleeding in a ravine after a catastrophic rockfall crippled his foot. Benno rushes to the darkened room in Fall, refusing to leave the injured hunter's bedside through days of intense fever. As gossip circulates through the village, Benno's steady presence gives Friedl the strength to endure physical pain and inner anguish.
Benno hatte sich über Friedls Verschwinden geärgert
Fearing Friedl will never return, Modei falls into silent despair on the isolated high pasture. Her brother Lenzl hikes down to Fall and tricks the recovering hunter by claiming Modei lies dangerously ill. Bound by love, Friedl straps a makeshift felt shoe to his swollen, injured foot and agonizingly hauls himself up the steep mountain path to reach her side.
Das waren stille, schwermütige Tage in der Hütte
Searching frantically for her brother, Modei is confronted by Blasi, who attempts to force his affections upon her once again. Modei fights him off with fierce resolve, declaring him dead to her and refusing to let him ever claim her child. Supported by Lenzl's armed intervention, she turns her back on her former tormentor forever.
Bei Modeis Hütte gellte ein Schrei
Reaching the Grottenalm in agonizing pain, Friedl is stunned to find Modei healthy and tending her hearth instead of bedridden. Hurt and believing he was cruelly deceived, Friedl prepares to turn back down the mountain immediately. Modei halts him at the water fountain, where the two finally speak with absolute candor, dissolving their misunderstandings in mutual relief and affection.
In der goldschönen Nachmittagssonne qualmte der Herd
Gamekeeper Hies corners the poacher Blasi along the treacherous cliff paths above the Dürrach gorge. Desperate to escape, Blasi races around a narrow rock ledge, only to collide headlong with Lenzl carrying a ringing cattle bell. Tangled together on the sheer precipice, both men lose their footing and plunge into the abyss below, bringing a tragic end to years of strife.
Hundertmal war Hies von der Fährte abgekommen
A gripping Bavarian alpine novel reveals how duty, redemption, and unspoken love endure amid rugged mountain hardship.