Frau Holle (1961)

Goldmarie, who has lost both her father and mother, is sent to Blumenau to live with her aunt Berta. On the way, Marie meets a traveling scissors grinder, who takes her to the village in his cart, where her aunt and her aunt’s daughter are already waiting for her. Marie has to start working in the house straight away and is bullied by Berta and her lazy daughter, who is also named Marie. Shortly afterward, the prince has the court marshal announce a competition to find the woman who can spin the finest yarn. Goldmarie is therefore made to spin yarn day and night at the well outside the house for her aunt’s daughter, so that she can become the prince’s court tailor. While doing so, Marie pricks herself on the spindle, and the yarn on the reel becomes soaked with her blood. When she tries to wash it in the well, the reel falls in. The frightened girl confesses her mishap to her aunt, who insists that Marie retrieve the reel from the well. A golden ladder suddenly rises out of the well. Marie climbs down it and enters Mother Holle’s realm. There, she fulfills an apple tree’s request to shake it, and the loaves’ request to take them out of the oven. Mother Holle has been watching her, welcomes her to her castle, and asks her to enter her service. Marie helps her make the weather, bringing rain and snow, sunshine and wind. When the young girl becomes homesick, she is allowed to return to the world above. As a reward for her service, she is showered with gold, so that her clothes are made of pure gold, and she gets back her reel, now made of gold too, with a fine silver thread. When she returns to her world, she is greeted with curiosity. Berta’s daughter is now supposed to acquire such riches too. She deliberately pricks herself on the spindle, throws the reel into the well, and climbs down the golden ladder. In Mother Holle’s realm, she refuses to shake the apple tree or take the bread out of the oven. When she arrives at Mother Holle’s, she is shown her tasks. But she is too lazy and does her work so carelessly that the weather becomes completely mixed up. When Mother Holle dismisses her, she demands her reward and is showered with pitch. After she returns home, the prince arrives in the village by carriage with the court marshal to inspect the spun yarn. But all the reels presented are rejected. Pitchmarie also shows her pitch-covered reel, and the court marshal throws it away in disgust. Finally, Goldmarie presents her golden reel with the silver thread and is appointed the prince’s court tailor. She gets into the carriage, but insists that her aunt and Pitchmarie be allowed to come along to the prince’s castle as well.