A wealthy Ossetian prince adopts a foundling and raises her as his own daughter, Fatima. As Fatima grows up, she falls in love with her stepbrother, Dzhambulat. However, when Dzhambulat goes to war and disappears, Fatima defies her father’s wishes and decides to marry a poor labourer.

Dato, in love with Eka, the daughter of the tax collector Ippolite, finds himself in danger. Surrounded by assailants, Ippolite, in a misunderstanding, believes Dato to be a bandit and attempts to capture him, intending to hand him over to the police. Despite this, Dato and Eka, who have often found themselves in trouble, manage to get married without Ippolite’s consent. Seeing Dato as his son-in-law deeply upsets Ippolite, but as the truth unravels, the happy couple embarks on their honeymoon.