When his mother dies, twelve-year-old Branko is suddenly left on his own. His father Milan is never at home, as he treks with his violin through the coastal towns of Croatia. Even Branko‘s grandmother sends the boy away. Now Branko has nowhere to go and he‘s also terribly hungry. Fortunately he gets to know Zora, the brave girl with the red hair, and becomes part of her gang. These kids struggle through life, completely on their own: Pavle, being as strong as three guys, the small and quick Nikola, Djuro, who wants to become a farmer or horse breeder, and Zora their brave leader. They call themselves „Uskoki“, for they are as brave as the real Uskoks, Slav freedom fighters of former times, and they stick together no matter what happens. Day by day the children steal their food in a tricky and adventurous way, so that they are not only chased by the policeman but also by the mighty fishmonger Karaman. But Zora is much too smart, nobody can catch or scare her – until one day a trick of the gang leads to a catastrophe and antagonises the whole city against them. Only the old fisherman Gorian helps the children … Elisabeth Naske‘s family opera is based on Kurt Held‘s juvenile book classic, describing the adventures of an orphans‘ gang in Croatia in the 1930s. With the opera we can immerse ourselves into a Mediterranean atmosphere, taking us with its rousing rhythm through the thrilling story.