When Oskar, a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli, they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl.

In the year 2000, a jury convenes in Friesland to elect the Sportsman of the Century. One man, Sake Wiarda, tries to convince his fellow-jury members not to nominate a sports hero like Abe Lenstra, but to give preference to the Frisian pole-squatter Taeke Jongsma. In flashbacks, Wiarda tells his audience the life story of this worker's son, who since childhood tries to escape the oppression of the working class in the thirties. Taeke finds out he is a splendid pole-squatter, but his record attempts are repeatedly thwarted by his great rival in love. Against the background of the historical changes in the previous century, the love story gradually unfolds between the pole-squatter and the farmer's daughter.

In Knohult things havn't changed much. Eulalia is tired of Nisse who's engaged in all sorts of inventions in his workshop or poaching in the forest rather than to repair the water pump. When Eulalia in protest begins swimming in soft drinks and water the plants with spirit Åsa-Nisse sees nothing else to do but to repair the pump. As with all his inventions he adds a few extra features ... When he starts the machine the ground rumbles and up comes oil instead of water! Now, not only Åsa-Nisse, but the whole Knohult sees their chance to become wealthy! But "Dunderpumpen", as he calles the invention, turns out to be stronger than anyone had imagined, and when shady Scanian oil magnates with support of the Swedish government wants their share of the pie Knohult declares themselves a republic...