Johnn Scheible was a German publisher and bookseller, known particularly for his review Das Kloster [the convent] – published in Stuttgart from 1845 to 1850. It dealt with all forms of popular texts using the German language. Several puppet plays featured among the many sources published by Scheible at that time. Thus, barely a year after Simrock’s Faust, he published six Faust, among which was the version August von Below had published in 1836. The present version belongs to the repertory of Augsburg. It is an adaptation of Johann Faust, a comedy by Johan Friedrich Schink (1755-1835). It was rewritten as a Singspiel (sung play) to be played with puppets. The play was initially written for actors, but Schink, as was often the case with him, drew inspiration from puppet theatre and made several references to it in the text: the puppet version published by Scheible was only a fair backlash.

Rosalinde, dressed as a male student, enters Doctor Faust’s home and gives him a book of magical spells. As a consequence, Faust believes he is making a deal with the devil, but he is in fact the victim of a trick orchestrated by the young woman, who conspired with Faust’s houseboy – Hans Wurst. When Satan comes back at midnight, he tells Faust that he has no intention of keeping his promises, and that the poor man has sold his soul for nothing. And yet, he grants him a final trial, which could save him from Hell: Faust must resist the gorgeous Helen of Troy. But he gives in the moment that she appears to him. Rosalinde then reveals that she was both the devil and the beautiful Helen: it is to her that he has devoted his body and soul. The play ends with two weddings, as Rosalinde’s servant, Lisette, is Hans Wurst’s sweetheart.