Peter Hamel

A screenwriter comes up with a story about an affair between a maid and her employer.

The composer Carl Maria von Weber is on his way to Prague with his bride Caroline Brandt when their carriage is attacked by bandits. Fortunately, Count Enzio von Schwarzenbrunn rushes to their aid and puts the villains to flight. However, the noble host who invites them to his castle is nowhere near as noble as he suspects, having staged the robbery himself in order to bring the enchanting Caroline to his aristocratic residence in this clever way and get to know her better in this luxurious setting.

The plot closely follows the Grimm fairy tale. Hans, a hard-working miller's apprentice, sets off on a journey to discover the big, wide world. As a reward for his work, his master gives him a lump of gold to take with him. On his journey home, he encounters a series of swindlers who gradually rob him of his reward. First, Hans exchanges his gold for a horse, the horse for a cow, the cow for a pig, the pig for a goose, and the goose for a grindstone and a simple field stone. Finally, while drinking, he drops both stones into a well. At last he is happy. He is freed from all burdens, in every respect.