11-year-old Jella moves with her parents from an idyllic village to a new development in the city, where her father works. Her friend Freitag gives her a pair of pigeons as a farewell present. However, the new life is disappointing for Jella. Her father has little time for her, the other children tease her about the pigeons and a neighbor even lets them fly. Jella decides to go back to the village, but a lot has changed there in the meantime, and she feels like a stranger. She leaves the pigeons with Freitag, who has already found other friends.