Orphaned Julius flees bombed Berlin and meets freed communist Kaiser. Together they rescue a starving circus horse and join a Soviet‐run traveling show featuring a hungry lion. After adventures defending the horse with local girl Ulrike, the pair head back to Berlin.

Hans Röckle is a puppeteer, inventor, blacksmith and more. He is challenged by the Devil (in almost a dozen fancy costumes) who offers him even more inventiveness, against his soul should he ever make money with an invention, build something twice, or cease inventing for 7*7 hours.