Mischievous, quick-witted Lillebror has just moved into town and not made any friends yet. One day he discovers a twig--Knerten--in a pile of firewood, and this becomes his imaginary friend. When his mother gets a job in a general store and his father is traveling for his underwear-salesman job, Lillebror must manage on his own most of the day. With Knerten in hand, he encounters a new everyday rural life filled with colorful characters and challenges. But can a pine twig be a real friend? And can his family afford to stay in the rundown house?