Der Kampf der Tertia (1952)

Somewhere on a northern German island in the Baltic Sea, in a fictional town called Boestrum. The upper third form at the local grammar school is considered particularly high-spirited. It consists almost entirely of boys; the only girl is the tomboy Daniela. She has to act especially boyish, combative, and tough in order not to be pushed around by her rough classmates. So she takes part in every classic “boys’ game” and is regarded as a decidedly outspoken leader in many matters. Gradually, her classmates begin to feel that Daniela is more of a boy than they are, and they rebel against her rough, commanding tone. She then temporarily withdraws from the class community. When news spreads that the forester Biersack plans to have all the cats in the area killed so he can profit from their pelts, all hell soon breaks loose. The old cat-hater has already persuaded the town council to support his plan. Now the upper-third students and Daniela must finally stand together to prevent this slaughter of animals. In the process, the students also have to deal with some Boestrum teenagers who hope to make a little extra money by cooperating with the fur trader. It is the brave and courageous Daniela who steps up as the leader of the cat rescuers with her two Great Danes and prevents the massacre. The efforts of the upper-third class have paid off, and the young students receive an award from the local animal-protection society.