Gérard Sandoz

Two men living in a snow-bound town in the mountains fall in love with the same girl

Panurge, a poor laundress, breathes in the smell of fish glue all day long but grows a meager flower in a tin can. He falls in love with the washerwoman, whose virtue is threatened by Fred's feline seduction. But Panurge and his gentle melancholy disarm fate.

The inhabitants of a small provincial town are requisitioned to take part in the French army's major maneuvers. A foreign spy takes advantage of these maneuvers to steal secret documents. The pursuit and capture of the spy and his accomplices are successfully carried out by all those taking part in the maneuvers.