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This book, a popular reading for lower grades, contains about a dozen sad, instructive stories told through a framework plot about the meeting of the boy Ljiljan and the dwarf Zlatibor. Zlatibor, a small creature in a floral suit, armed with a bow and sword, leads the children through the forest to the secret Bird Lake, where birds live in harmony. There, he tells them stories about animals, emphasizing lessons about friendship, freedom, and transience. The plot ends with the betrayal of the secret, after which Zlatibor disappears, leaving the children with pride and sadness.

Key stories: In "The Golden-billed Bird", the golden beak attracts hunters; the bird chooses death in the lake instead of a cage, celebrating freedom. "The White Nightingale", wandering, abandoned by his own, saved by the boy's love, finds acceptance and friendship. "The Flock" shows the power of unity: the jackdaws united defeat the hawk. "The Fiddler" gives the boy a magical instrument for calling birds, a reward for his rescue. "The Nightingale's Death" warns of infidelity: a nightingale nurtures an eagle, but is eaten. "The Flame" lights the way for lost birds, but dies of exhaustion. "The Farewell" describes the sad farewell of a wounded duck from its friend. "The Boy and the Bird" makes a sick boy healthy by bringing him a strawberry, building a lifelong bond.