The Fifth Wheel to a Coach

The Janura family move granny back to Prague so that she can live out the remainder of her life with her family. Unfortunately, the only spare room they have is the old servant's room with its window facing the lift shaft. As soon as she arrives granny starts doing various chores and the whole family, including the children, become accustomed to her services. What is less pleasant for them, however, is the way she occasionally interferes with their private lives. She notices, for example, that her son-in-law fancies a young singer and she tries to save her daughter's marriage. The widower Poláček is the first to bring the old lady's attention to the fact that her family is using her, and he invites her to come and live with him. She does not heed his words, however, she does feel lonely at Christmas: there is not a single present for her under the Christmas tree. Poláček sends a letter to a magazine about granny and entitles it " A Cog in the Wheel". Mrs Janura, an editor for a woman's magazine, answers the letter. She criticizes the family described in the letter as a typical example of petty-bourgeois exploitation. After reading the magazine, granny leaves her family and finds a job as a cloakroom attendant. Things do not work out for the family without her, however, and granny again catches sight of her son-in-law with the singer. So she returns and the humbled family promise to rectify things. After some time, it is not granny who goes off on a long-desired holiday by the sea, but Mr and Mrs Janura, in order that they strengthen their marriage.