The girl Nephrite Blossom draws water from an enchanted spring for Otaro, who is exhausted to death. As a result, she falls under the control of the evil spirit Rotwange. Otaro does everything he can to win Nephrite Blossom back.
For his mockery a witch transforms the pert boy Jacob into an ugly dwarf, but teaches him at the same time how to cook. Jacob quickly becomes a master of his trade and is named the prince's first cook. Only the mysterious herb "sneeze-with-passion" is unknown to him. Based on a fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff.
Riding outside, the princess and the court juggler Honorio discover a fire in the marketplace. Honorio kills a tiger that has escaped from the jugglers, a lion is tamed by a boy's wonderful flute playing and returned to the jugglers, whose livelihood it provides.
