Scheible was a German publisher and bookseller, who was particularly known for his review Das Kloster (the Convent) – published in Stuttgart from 1845 to 1850. It dealt with all forms of popular arts using the German language. Several puppet plays were published in it. Faust and, most importantly, Don Juan appeared in these plays. Scheible published three different versions of Don Juan. The manuscript summarised here comes from a theatre in Strasbourg and seems to be the source text for musician and puppet plays collector Karl Engel’s 1875 rewriting. Contrary to Engel, who amply rewrites the plays he reproduces, Scheible says that he almost never changed the text – only to correct the unreliable spelling of the manuscript. In any case, he achieves a pioneering work in the gathering of puppet plays on Don Juan with this publication.

Don Juan witnesses Donna Amarilles' declaration of love to Don Philippo and decides to get to the meeting place before his rival. Through the intervention of his servant Hans Wurst, he asks his father Don Alfaro for ten thousand thalers. The latter has two coins given to them, so that they can both buy ropes to hang themselves. Don Juan beats his father and robs him. He tries to abduct Donna Amarilles but he is caught by her father, Don Pedro, and kills him. The boat Don Juan and Hans Wurst flee on sinks but they both survive and find shelter with a hermit in the woods. Don Juan is disguised – he is wearing the hermit’s trousers – and kills Don Philippo who was chasing him. He then tries to rape a shepherdess and a princess he met in the woods. He kills the princess because she was fighting him. Don Juan and Hans Wurst finally reach the cemetery where Don Pedro’s equestrian statue stands, and they invite him over for dinner. The statue agrees, but in the end, Don Juan will go to it for a midnight feast in the cemetery. Don Pedro urges him to do penance, but he refuses and is damned. He then repents for his sins. An angel offers him forgiveness for his sins. He does not think he is worthy of it and is carried away by Furies from the Underworld. As for Hans Wurst, he drives out two devils who offered him a similar dinner.