Emil is 12 and lives with his father who has lost his job because of a car accident. Mr. Tischbein lies at the hospital with a broken arm and decides to send his son to Berlin, so that the child will have the possibility to spend the summer holidays with a friend of his, a Protestant priest, whose son is the same age as Emil. In the train, Emil runs into a thief who steals all his money. But, once in Berlin, the boy gets to know Polly and with the help of his new friend and her gang, they organise a thrilling pursuit of the thief…
