Jacob and his parents are poor. So poor that they cannot even afford an apartment and have to live in a hole under a tree. Jacob goes fishing with his father to the sea. Today Jacob catches a special fish. "Please, throw me into the sea," says the fish, "throw me in and let me live, what you want, I will give you!" Jacob is so puzzled that he lets the fish fall back into the sea. Later he realises that he should have wished for some shoes. The next day he goes back to the sea and calls the fish. Immediately a pair of brand-new shoes shine on his feet. The list of wishes then becomes longer and longer: a blanket, a bed, a furnished house, finally a castle with all its staff, then a holiday from all the stress and in the end - the whole world! The boundless desires have their price: The magic fish is getting thinner and the sea more and more wild...

In a huge storm it comes to the showdown, the sea reclaims its original state, things disappear. Greed, self-indulgence and materialism stand opposed to a poetic dream world, a place of yearning in a harbour atmosphere. A place on the water where Jacob is totally connected to nature. The realisation that love and cohesion count more than Gold! reunites the little family.