Leida, the central character of the story, is a 19th-century housewife who dreams of becoming the lead singer of a rune song (traditional Estonian song) choir. Her dream seems within reach when, one morning, her children accidentally eat moldy bread, and through their mouths, a radio broadcast from the future is heard. Fortunately, the children quickly recover from their brief trance, and the song they heard is exactly the kind of piece that Leida could shine with in front of the village women from the choir.
However, when the melody slips her mind at a critical moment, the family has no choice but to put the moldy bread back on the table. The second time, the consequences are more severe, as the children’s health suffers. Unfortunately, the father of the family is undeterred, and Leida must decide whether the song is a blessing or a curse.