Josef Novák-Wajda

The fairy tale begins in hell, where the book of sins has been lost. During his frantic search, the devil's apprentice Vašek finds a pair of shoes and, overcome by curiosity, decides to try them on. Like everything else associated with hell, these shoes are not ordinary, and Vašek suddenly finds himself in the world of humans. Before he has time to get his bearings, he loses them, and with them the chance to return. The shoes have caught the eye of a village boy named Jiřík, and they have brought him to hell instead. Lucifer is furious, because his realm has never faced such a predicament: an innocent child in hell and an inexperienced devil's apprentice accidentally left in the world...

The joyful celebrations at the royal festivities are suddenly interrupted by a juggler's attempt to kill King Gregory. The astronomer Petr, who saves the king, is accepted into service for his deed. He teaches the beautiful princess Korunka to read the stars, but the monarch is not particularly fond of their budding love due to the young man's lowly origins. Three musicians try to help the two lovers with magic, and when Petr manages to save the king from death a second time, it seems that the astrologer's dream will come true and he will finally win the princess's hand. Instead of the expected reward, however, he is banished...

The story of little orphan Michálek, whom the greedy greengrocer Haboš wants to rob of his cottage, so he lures him on a journey to find treasure and abandons him in a dark cave. Dobroděj, Lord of Radhošť, shows Michálek the way to a magical flower in an enchanted garden. The boy must overcome many of the sorcerer's traps and returns as a grown man. The evil sorcerer kidnaps Countess Bělinka from the castle, and Michal sets out to find her.

Despite the fact that young Jakub had faithfully served a wealthy farmer for a whole year, he did not receive a fair reward. So he set off into the world, where he gradually met a water sprite, a will-o'-the-wisp, a fairy, but above all a trio of eccentric witches - the old crone Filoména, the hag Agáta, and the youngest, Esterka. When a mouse brings a picture of the beautiful Klárka from a nearby castle to the forest, Jakub falls in love with her at first sight. However, Klárka is in danger from Prince Darjabád, who needs her young heart to become young again and, above all, immortal...

A poor couple waits in vain for a child. The desperate man asks hell itself for help, and the devils grant his wish. Nine months later, the couple gives birth to a son named Nesyta. When he grows up, he sets out into the world. He is not afraid of work and offers help wherever he can, but he discourages everyone with his insatiability. Eventually, he enters the service of the devil himself...

A fairy tale based on motifs taken from Josephine tales. Like Josef II, the fictitious emperor Maxmilián often disappears from the castle in disguise in order to find out how his vassals live. On one of these 'trips' he meets a drummer returning home from his stint in the army. They live through various adventures together, meeting bandits as well as human foolishness and perfidiousness which almost leads them to the scaffold.