The somewhat indolent father Traugott Wurster looks after his six sons while his wife works in a butchers shop One day when Traugott falls into a mysterious prolonged sleep mother Wurster is forced to give the children to relatives Markus is sent to the stuffy Uncle Theodor who turns into a childhood friend under his influence Mother Wurster also rents the sleeping Traugott to a furniture store which uses him to advertise mattresses in the shop window