An old man lived in a hut by the seashore with his family: his wife and three sons. The eldest son loved the sea, but it punished him for his audacity. The middle son communicated with the sea, but it stopped answering him. The youngest son was swallowed by the sea and taken away entirely. After many years of wandering, the three brothers reunite on their native island of Sakhalin to restore their lost connections and finally bid farewell to their sea.