Early 18th-century Krakow: The poor student Simon works as a travelling musician in order to finance his studies, and the Polish freedom fighter Jan is on the run from Saxon troops. They meet in the carriage of Count Kovalska, where they fall in love with the Count’s daughters Laura and Bronislava.
On his travels, Paul, a journeyman from northern Germany, runs into a childhood friend, Lisei, a puppeteer's daughter. They fall in love and get married. Together with Lisei's father, the young couple moves to Paul's hometown. Although Paul himself is accepted - even respected - by the stuck-up and snooty citizens, the young woman is rejected by the town dwellers, who are imbued with class arrogance. Paul stands up for his wife but the scorn and abuse heaped on her weigh heavily upon him.
Un anciano llamado Muck, que vive en una ciudad oriental, cuenta la historia de su vida a un grupo de niños: también fue una vez tan joven como ellos. Después de haber perdido a su padre a una edad temprana, Muck es expulsado de la casa por sus parientes codiciosos. Intenta cruzar el desierto con la esperanza de encontrar el comerciante que vende la buena fortuna. En medio de las dunas se encuentra con una pequeña casa, propiedad de una mala mujer y sus muchos gatos. Ella quiere hacer de Muck su sirviente, pero l se las arregla para escapar robando un par de zapatos m gicos que le permiten correr m s r pido que cualquier otro hombre en el pa s.
For the corpulent nobleman Sir John Falstaff, the inn in the small English town of Windsor is the best of all places. Here he can indulge in excessive dining and intemperate drinking, as well as swagger and boast about his adventures, particularly those of an amorous nature. At present, he has designs on the two young women, Mistress Reich and Fluth, who, in turn, lead the paunchy protagonist mightily by the nose.
