Peter Hamel

During the winter, the grandfather tells his grandchildren the fairy tale of Mother Holly: A widow lives with her two daughters—the hardworking and beautiful Blondmarie, who, as an unloved stepchild, must do all the chores, and her own lazy and wicked daughter, Blackmarie. When Blondmarie enters the realm of the weather fairy Mother Holly and diligently performs her duties there, she is richly rewarded for her efforts: Blondmarie returns home in a golden dress. Now Blackmarie dreams of the same wealth, and so she enters Mother Holly's service, but her laziness earns her nothing but a shower of pitch. Blondmarie, however, knows how to make the most of her good fortune: she gifts her gold to the fields, now bearing a bountiful harvest, and so she is able to marry her beloved shepherd, Kaspar Franz, as a simple farmer’s wife.

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.

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