<p>Unable to sleep, Casperl complains about his lot in life and even says that he is ready to appeal to the spirits, following the example of Faust, when a headless ghost appears in front of him. The ghost asks him to save him from hell by performing the necessary rites at midnight at the gallows. In exchange, Casperl will get hold of the treasure that the ghost buried at this location when he was still a bandit. The next day, Casperl, who has forgotten the ritual words, asks the witch Moosmayerin to help him: she gives him Holofernes’ magical belt. In the next scene, Casperl has become rich, but he considers that the money shouldn’t be used to pay his debts and he sends his creditors away with injurious words. When a police officer comes to arrest him, he manages to lock the police officer inside his house and goes to the tavern. When he returns to his place, he discovers that the police officer has hung himself by accident with the rope with which he tried to slip away. Casperl is thrown in prison, but he is freed by the ghost, who tells him that the police officer has not died and that he has resumed his work.</p>

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Beer

Night

Melancholy

Faust

Spirits

Robber

Scaffold

Sorcery

People and history

Coffee

Market

Wealth

Scatology

Debt

Tavern

Perlicke

Romanticism

Fantasy

Comical

Burlesque

German

Schicksalsdrama in vier Aufzügen

Kasperl

Madame Kasperl

Tailor

Police officer

Shoemaker

Chimney sweeper

Ghost

Monologue

Word for another

Metatheatre

Thunderbolt

Chorus

Animated natural element

Song

Disguise

Parody of formal language

Macaronism

Hanging scene

Transforming scenery

Board

Instrumental tune

Casperl wird reich

Casperl gets rich

<p>Princess Dana of Gurkistan is kidnapped and sequestered by the sorcerer Khalakuck and she must prepare him eight noodle dishes a day and clean his nose every morning. But after a year, the magician gives her a choice: either to marry him or be devoured! At this moment she discovers that the rocking horse that was in her room is none other than Prince Schaukelpferd from Spielzeugland transformed into a toy. With the help of Tziptzap, a magic tit (bird), they manage to escape from their prison, flying on Schaukelpferd’s back, which has grown wings during the night. But they are caught by Khalakuck. The prince knows that he only has three and a half metamorphoses left to win the final battle against the sorcerer. The tale ends with a triple wedding: the prince with the princess, the market gardener with the policeman, and Kasperl with Grete. The last couple was indeed already married, but marriage, according to Kasperl, is something you can never do too often.</p>

Fühmann Franz

Berlin

Fairy play

Tale

Magic

Wonderland

German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Socialism

Freedom

Jail

Emancipation

Bird

Animal

Childhood

Sexuality

Society

Chickadee

Pickle

Children's game

Horse

Animals, Mythical

Bans

Shortage

Economy

Majority

Adult

Castle

Civism

Educational methods

Humorous

Satirical

Prince

Magician

Die Spucke in der Bütte auf der Schwelle

Policeman

Address to the public

Metamorphosis

Talking animal

Object coming to life

Magic act

Scene of recognition

Bawdy equivocation

Political allegory

Love story

Running away

Chase

Confinement

Das Spiel von der glücklichen Flucht des Prinzen Schaukelpferd vom Spielzeugland mit der Prinzessin Dana von Gurkistan aus der Burg des bösen Zauberers Khalakuck

The play about the happy escape of Prince Rocking Horse of Toyland with Princess Dana of Gurkistan from the castle of the evil sorcerer Khalakuck