Melios Kadras, the hero of the book, has ceased to be a child and no longer counts the stars, only the thorns that life lays on his path. He wanders once again in the province of Northern Greece, where he encounters refugees abandoned in barren lands, cunning gypsies philosophizing, poor and uneducated shepherds and farmers. There, he meets two people who, each with their folk wisdom and their own way, help him find solace in the area.

He becomes a teacher in a village and proudly stands up to the arrogance of the "masters". He helps the poor and the helpless find some meaning in their monotonous lives and faces every injustice and difficulty that comes his way with courage. He makes the long-awaited return, riding a horse, to his city to meet his old classmates again, but mainly his one true love, Agrampeli - a journey so bitter that after it he feels the need to hit the road once more...