Das Spiel von der glücklichen Flucht… is one of two plays written by Fühmann in 1984 at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin while he was undergoing heavy surgeries and was just resuming writing. The author had planned to write a cycle of three puppet plays but only completed two: this one and Das Spiel von Kaspar, der Königin Tausendschön und der noch tausendmal schöneren Prinzessin Schneewittchen, which together form a collection entitled Schlipperdibix und Klapperdibax! published posthumously a year later. The title of the collection refers to the humorous swear words of Franz von Pocci’s character, Kasperl Larifari. Many other allusions can be found in the two plays. Fühmann is a renowned children’s author who was interested in Central European puppet plays and knew Pocci’s work very well. Just like him, Fühmann advocated his own vision of education in his writings for children and did not refrain from addressing the themes of sexuality and puberty, nor from slipping into his text a discreet but bitter criticism of the socialist model of the GDR, which was coming to an end in the 1980s.

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.