Princess Mareile and her brother have been kidnapped. Guided by Mr. Moon, Little Muck uncovers the plot of a witch, steals her miraculous running shoes and frees the captive children from the lair of the evil giant Bumbo.

Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.

For the old privy Frau Butow, the green salon in her comfortable Berlin apartment is both an untouchable relic from the past as well as a refuge from the cares of everyday life. Enthroned in her salon, she wishes to neither hear not see the changes the world is going through and the problems these changes are bringing about. Frau Butow lives in an illusory world, in which problems aren't allowed. Thus, she knows nothing of the problems of her children and grandchildren; nor her son's business problems; nor even the health problems of her daughter. Only granddaughter Sabine doesn't want to come to terms with the unworldly attitude of her grandmother. So she tells her about her love for the architectural student Wolf, who has to earn his money as a bricklayer. The old woman is horrifeid and doesn't want to hear anymore! But Sabine won't shut her mouth.

Berlin, 1890: Werner Ludtke is only nine years old, but this son of a shoemaker is already in love with his playmate, Felicitas von Graefe. At first, her father just laughs about this infatuation; but as the children start to grow up, the class-conscious gentlemen doesn’t find this crush all too swell. Werner’s mother has a solution: her son must join the Army and go far away from Felicitas.