 Santa Thomasina is a small remote village in the hills overlooking San Juan. In reality, it is not one but two villages, since the inhabitants of both have been feuding for years as to which has the rightful claim to being  the  Santa Thomasina. Sister Bertrille and Sister Jacqueline are caught within the feud when they are invited by one of the communities, but end up in the other. Manifestation of the feud includes stealing pigs and stealing the statue of Saint Thomasina, the matron saint of the villages. The residents of the one Santa Thomasina s sees Sister Bertrille fly, thinking she the reincarnation of their beloved matron Saint, and who they believe will lead them to victory in battle against the other village. Despite Sister Bertrille s urgings against doing so, the villagers go to the fork in the trail to battle the rapers and pillagers from the other village, whom they portray as well armed guerrillas. In reality, the  army  of the other Santa Thomasina are similarly just villagers armed with shovels and brooms as weapons. In the midst of battle, Sister Bertrille first thinks that a drastic measure is required to show them how futile their battle is: she threatens to chop the statue in half to give to each village. When they shudder at the thought, the villagers accept Sister Bertrille s more practical second suggestion of keeping the statue at the fork of the trail and to name the respective communities East Santa Thomasina and West Santa Thomasina. They have achieved peace.