Der springende Hirsch (1915)

The story takes place at the beginning of the First World War in East Prussia, near the Eastern Front. Russian soldiers have invaded the small border town of Günsterburg. Their commander, General Ivan Alexeyevich Udashkov, imposes a hefty contribution on the residents, payable in both money and kind. Liebenow, a member of the town council, comes up with the brilliant idea of getting the Russians to pay back the forced levy by setting two notorious local crooks, Safecracker Ede and Corridor Emil, on them. The two burglary specialists are to first steal back the town treasury, which the Russians have occupied, and then go to the town’s food depot to retrieve the meat and bread that had been requisitioned by force. Udashkov is beside himself with rage, because after every “theft” he receives an insolent letter making fun of him. The letters are always signed with a drawing of a leaping stag. But Liebenow has another problem, too. Just as the Russians are occupying his town, his wife Lydia’s brother Arthur arrives. Arthur serves as a lieutenant in Kaiser Wilhelm’s army and is therefore liable to be taken prisoner by the Russians. So Liebenow comes up with the original idea of dressing Arthur in livery so he can pass him off as a household servant. The general quickly uncovers the deception, however, when he finds a photograph of the supposed servant in the Liebenows’ home and deduces that he must be a member of the family. He therefore has Arthur, the fake servant, arrested and taken to the town jail. This presents a particularly tricky case for Safecracker Ede and Corridor Emil, who are to pull off the crowning achievement of their careers by freeing the lieutenant on Liebenow’s instructions. Meanwhile, Lydia Liebenow, who knows nothing of her husband’s plan, goes to the Russian general to ask for her brother’s release. Udashkov is willing to make a deal: Arthur’s freedom in exchange for Lydia telling him who is behind the “leaping stag.” Lydia finds a note announcing a meeting at the Smuggler’s Inn after some unspecified deed has been carried out. Believing it might be a message from the “leaping stag,” she gives this information to the Russian enemy. General Udashkov arrives at the inn with his soldiers and promptly runs into Liebenow and the two master thieves, who have the newly freed Lieutenant Arthur in tow. The catastrophe would now be complete if a German unit did not happen to advance into town at that very moment to drive out the Russian occupiers. The general thinks he is trapped, but reacts with lightning speed and swaps his tinsel-covered officer’s uniform for the ragged clothes of one of the crooks. The crook takes this exchange very pragmatically as a gain, puts on the Russian officer’s uniform, resplendent with medals, and stands before everyone else with his chest puffed out.