Poldi, a young boy, is tricked by his sisters, Ilena and Rosika, into entering the woods to find the magical fern seeds that can only be collected on Mid-Summer’s Eve. They think he’ll be too scared to enter, but he does to prove he’s brave. The sisters, worried their parents will be mad because they’ve lost their little brother, enter the woods to find him. Through the machinations of the bored elf, Gonzalo, the sisters are captured by the ogre, Nathaniel. Along the way, Poldi discovers the fern seeds make him invisible to everyone but the elf. The mother and father, pregnant and an injured, respectively, are physically unable to enter the woods after their children. Poldi must seek the help of Hekabe, the witch, who sees the future and provides him with several magical implements that will aid in the finding and rescue of his sisters from the hungry and seemingly dull-witted ogre. In the end, Poldi learns that being afraid and being brave aren’t exclusive of each other and it’s okay to be scared while doing the right thing.