Das Märchen vom Schlaraffenland (2016)

Paul lives in the greatest poverty and hardship with his parents and sister. He is supposed to sell kindling in town so he can use the money to buy medicine for his sick sister. In town, he meets the traveling showman “Master Feuerstein,” who offers to show him the way to the Land of Cockaigne for a few coins—a place where there are no worries. Since Paul has no money, he gives the showman his goat, Berta. But when he reaches a sheer cliff on the way to Cockaigne, with no way forward, he realizes that he has probably been cheated. A woodcutter eventually tells him that only a “seeing blind man” can show him the way to Cockaigne. Paul wanders through the forest for days until he meets a blind old man who, after putting him to the test, offers to show him the way. Paul accepts and has to answer three riddles, which he manages easily. The old man suddenly disappears, and a wall of semolina porridge appears in front of Paul. He promptly eats his way through it and arrives in Cockaigne. To his amazement, he finds not only sausages hanging from the trees but also a floating man who introduces himself as “Debreziner” and resembles a wind-up toy. He greets Paul and tells him to take whatever he likes. Paul crosses a stream that flows with milk instead of water, encounters flying roast chickens, and then meets the pretty “Pralina,” who has lived here all her life. She shows him a treasure chamber, where he stuffs his pockets with gold. Afterward, he wants to return as quickly as possible, but Pralina does not want him to go. She lets Paul persuade her to exert herself and climbs into the crow’s nest of a ship made of chocolate. For the first time in her life, she sweats—and falls in love with him. At last, she explains that she would much rather go with Paul to the “world over there,” because she finds the carefree world of Cockaigne too boring: no one has to make any effort, and if you feel too old, you simply step into the fountain of youth. “Debreziner” tells them that once they leave Cockaigne, there is no coming back. Even so, “Pralina” asks her father how to get “outside,” but he cannot understand why she would want to go there. In the meantime, “Camembert” clothes Paul in fine garments and introduces him to the country’s other comforts, but he is only trying to tempt Paul into giving up his plan to return to his own world. After all, there is a risk that more people from the “world over there” might find their way to them. “Camembert” nearly manages to enchant Paul so completely that he no longer wants to return, but “Pralina” manages to rouse him from his lethargy. After thinking it over carefully, she has just asked the all-knowing “Debreziner” and learned that they can leave Cockaigne through the hole Paul came through. But it will soon close, so they have to hurry. “Camembert” tries to stop them from escaping, but fails. Before they go, “Debreziner” explains that neither of them can take anything from Cockaigne. That does not deter them. Paul and “Pralina” fly through the opening on the horizon and arrive in the world of humans. “Master Feuerstein” can hardly believe his eyes when he sees the two of them step out of his stage set. To get Paul to tell him how to reach Cockaigne, he gives him back his money and the goat, and finally even his showman’s wagon and horse. Since they were not allowed to bring anything from “Pralina’s” world, they now nevertheless have enough to buy the healing medicine for Paul’s sister. From then on, Paul and Pralina work as puppeteers, telling the fairy tale of Cockaigne with marionettes.