Der Hasenhüter (1977)

Konrad, a poor shepherd, wishes to win the hand of the vain Princess Adelheid. Anne, the princess’s kitchen maid, warns Konrad that the princess is arrogant and cold-hearted. But Konrad will not be deterred and sets off for the castle. Along the way, he helps an old woman—Anne’s godmother—whose well rope was cut by a hunter’s shot. In gratitude, she gives Konrad a shepherd’s flute. King Felsenherz and Princess Adelheid order Konrad to look after the king’s hares. Not a single animal may be lost, or the shepherd will face death. While Konrad is doing his duty, both the king and his daughter, in disguise, try to buy a hare from him, which would have meant failure for him. He sees through their trick and makes each of them earn a hare: the princess has to kiss him, while he makes the king kiss a donkey’s hoof. They each receive a hare afterward, but when Konrad plays the flute he was given, the animals run back to him. After he has completed the task, the king, unwilling to accept the shepherd as his son-in-law, demands that he also “fill a sack with lies.” In response, Konrad is presented with an empty sack. Konrad then tells how the princess earned a hare from him. When he is about to reveal what happened with the disguised king as well, the king orders him to be silent and agrees to the marriage. But Konrad turns down the marriage and leaves with Anne, whom he has since fallen in love with, and her godmother.