Die drei Federn (2014)

Prince Gundolf, tired of ruling, seeks a successor among his sons. He promises his steward Julius that he will hand over his scepter only to the son who brings home the finest carpet. His older sons, Gerhard and Gebhard, are certain they can complete the task to their father’s satisfaction and bring him the finest carpet. They think little of their younger brother Gustav’s abilities, showering him with ridicule and calling him “Dummling” (“Simpleton”). So that the brothers do not search in the same direction, Prince Gundolf tosses three feathers from his stuffed beloved falcon into the air. Gerhard and Gebhard follow the feathers east and west, while Gustav follows his feather into the forest, to a small cave. There he meets the talking toad Itsche, whom he saved ten years earlier from the prince’s cookpot. Gustav tells Itsche that he wishes for the most beautiful carpet. She speaks a magic spell, and a chest opens to reveal the finest carpet. Gustav takes it home to his father. Meanwhile, Gerhard and Gebhard have met at a monument on the other side of the forest and gone together to the inn in a nearby village to enjoy some beer. Certain that their brother Gustav will not find a beautiful carpet in the forest, they make a pact: if Gerhard becomes prince, Gebhard will continue to live like a prince alongside him. On the way to the inn, Gerhard robs a poor subject of an old red curtain, passes it off as a carpet, and brings it to his father as a gift. When their father receives the older brothers’ threadbare curtain and Gustav’s carpet in quick succession, he chooses Gustav’s carpet. But Julius advises him not to base his decision on that alone. The next day, the day before Prince Gundolf’s 60th birthday, the prince sets his sons a new task. This time, they must bring him the most beautiful ring. Once again, three feathers show them the way: two lead Gerhard and Gebhard together to the monument, while Gustav’s leads him into the forest to the toad Itsche. Certain that Gustav will not find a ring in the forest, Gerhard and Gebhard go back to the inn. While Gebhard feasts like a prince, Gerhard gets a ring by stealing it from an old man’s pipe. Meanwhile, Gustav follows his feather into the forest again. By the river, he meets a young blonde, barefoot girl wearing a light-green dress and a dark-green hooded cloak. A black-and-white spotted rabbit sits in her lap. Gustav joins her, and the two begin talking about the rabbit. It turns out that Gustav raised this very rabbit long ago, and that his father had now ordered it prepared for his 60th birthday. The blonde girl had prevented this by stealing the rabbit from the cook just before it was to be slaughtered. When one of the prince’s guards passes by, Gustav does not betray the blonde girl, but she still will neither tell him her name nor show him her face. The two release the rabbit into the freedom of the forest, and Gustav continues on to the toad Itsche. He thanks her for the carpet and now tells her that he wishes for a ring. Itsche opens her mouth, and a thick gold ring, adorned with diamonds and brilliant-cut stones and shining like a sunbeam, appears on her tongue. Gustav takes it and brings it to his father, who is furious about the ring Gerhard gave him, since he was able to bend it with his fingers. By contrast, Gustav’s ring delights him so much that his heart nearly stops with happiness. But Gustav’s brothers and Julius once again persuade him not to appoint Gustav. Soon afterward, Julius sets a final task beside the resting prince. This time, they must find the most beautiful bride. Whoever brings her will become prince. Julius tosses three feathers into the wind. The two feathers heading east and west lead Gerhard and Gebhard to the monument again, while the third leads Gustav back into the forest. While Gerhard chooses two common peasant girls, one for himself and one for his brother, Gustav seeks out the toad and explains his father’s third wish. However, he has already half-completed the task himself, since he has the blonde, barefoot young girl in the green dress and cloak whom he met by the river in mind. With a spell, the toad Itsche leads him to her, and the two ride on a brown horse to Prince Gundolf. After his older sons’ rather unattractive brides fail to impress him, he is delighted by the blonde, barefoot young girl in a green dress at Gustav’s side. One last time, Gustav’s brothers and Julius try to turn the prince against him, and Julius claims that the beauty beside Gustav is not from the prince’s realm. But when she explains that she comes from the forest between the castle and the village, Prince Gundolf announces that Gustav has fulfilled all three tasks to his satisfaction. Prince Gundolf sends the scheming steward Julius and Gerhard and Gebhard to work in the stable, and has his son Gustav take his place on the throne as his successor. In the final scene, Gustav and Barbara are seen dancing hand in hand for a long time in front of the prince’s castle.