The Dwarf/Der Zwerg
It is a story about a dwarf named Filippo being a story-teller to his mistress Margherita. Margherita is a beautiful girl but she is cruel toward her suitors. One day however she is swept off her feet by a handsome travel-merchant called Baldassare. The two get engaged, but it turns out that Baldassare is a cruel man. He kills Margherita's pet parrot and Filippo's pet puppy.
One day Margherita asks Filippo to tell her one of his stories. He tells her a story about a potion that makes one fall in love. Margherita asks him if the potion is real and Filippo tells her that he can even make it for her. Margherita wants to give the potion to Baldassare. Filippo makes the potion; it is really a poison-a part of Filippo's plan to avenge his pets. Before Baldassare takes the potion disguised as a drink he tells Filippo to try it first. He does and goes outside to wait for his death. Soon Baldassare dies as well. Margherita spends the rest of her life crazy and haunted by the pets she refused to save in order to please her lover.
Analysis
It is pretty much a story that sends a message of: what goes around comes around. Margherita's cruelty towards her suitors results in her falling for the worst kind, Baldassare's cruelty towards the pets results in his death, Filippo's plan of revenge to kill Baldassare results in him dying along with him and Margherita goes crazy at the end haunted by the picture of a drowning puppy that she should've saved.
Shadow Play/Schattenspiel
It is a story about a village women called Lady Agnes seducing and playing with a lot of men all the while keeping her innocent demeanor. One of them is a Baron who recently got separated from his wife. A poet named Floribert is also another one of the men. Baron's brother comes to visit him and he also falls in love with Lady Agnes. After realising what kind of lady Lady Agnes is Baron's brother gets furious and waits in front of her house at night to capture one her other lovers. He has a rifle in his hands and when a suitor comes to Lady Agnes's home he shots him. It turns out that he killed poet Floribert.
Analysis
This story is picturesque; the focus is more on the imagery than the actual plot. Nature is a big part of every scene with detailed descriptions of surroundings. The imagery of the ending scene is quite striking-the tea roses are covered in the shot man's blood, there is a sound of village clock striking the hour, sky is covered densely with clouds, river sings softly and there is a sound of a bird singing.
A Man by the Name of Ziegler/Ein Mensch mit Namen Ziegler
It is a story about an ordinary man trying to spend his free time usefully by going to a museum. There Ziegler gets fascinated by a witchcraft section and somewhat accidentally takes one of the old pills. After going out of the museum his curiosity gets the best of him and Ziegler swallows the pill. He goes to the zoo and realizes he can understand the language of the animals there. The animals look upon humans with contempt. This drives Ziegler crazy and he starts frantically taking his clothes off, after which he is taken into an insane asylum.
Analysis
It is a classic "curiosity killed the cat" type of a tale.
The City/Die Stadt
This story is a description of a city developing and then falling into forgetfulness because of the development of other cities.
Dr. Knoegle's End/Doktor Knölges Ende
A man called Dr. Knoegle goes into a vegetarian camp in order to change his eating habits because it's needed for his health. There Dr. Knoegle gets acquainted with many different people. The most striking is a man called ape Jonas who completely disregarded humanity and started living like an animal. Dr. Knoegle feels contempt for him because he spoiled human dignity.
Ape Jonas feels the hatred emanating from Dr. Knoegle and one night he attacks him and strangles him. Dr. Knoegle gets buried at the camp only remembered by the few friends he met there.
The Beautiful Dream/Der schöne Traum
It is a story about Martin Haberland, who died at a young age. The story is about a dream Martin had prior to his death. Martin dreamed about being summoned to the Mountain of knowledge to build a castle there. After that a girl approached him and with her kiss Martin experienced love and death.
In his dream Martin then returned down the path he came from, but nothing earthly was waiting for him there anymore.
Analysis
It is a story that encourages the acceptance of death as a natural thing and that everyone, no matter how soon their death arrives, has a purpose that they served.
The Three Linden Trees/Drei Linden
The story begins with the mention of three linden trees standing in the cemetery of the Hospital of the Holly Spirit in Berlin. There is a tale behind those trees. One night a young man discovered a man covered in blood. The man died in his arms and when the police came they arrested him as the suspect. When his older brother discovered that his brother was in prison he came to tell the judge that he is the one who committed the crime.
Soon later, their eldest brother discovered that his two brothers are in prison and he came to tell the judge that he killed the man. Now, all three of the brothers were put in prison.
When the youngest discovered what his brothers have done he decided to no longer plead innocent and he told the judge that he committed the crime. Not knowing what to do the judge went before the prince and asked for advice. The prince told him to let God decide their fate.
The three brothers were brought out to a field to plant a linden tree each of them. The first tree that dries and dies means that the one who planted it is guilty. All three of the trees soon grew roots and started rapidly growing and all three of the brothers were set free.
Analysis
It is a story about unconditional brotherly love.
A woman is left alone pregnant after her husband suddenly dies. The only close person to her is her old neighbor called Binsswanger. On the day of the birth of her child she is visited by an old lady who helps her with everything. The lady is sent by Binsswanger.
The woman's son is named Augustus. The woman chooses Binsswanger to be his godfather. He doesn't have a huge gift for her son but he tells her that the following night when she hears music from his home to make a wish for her son and that wish will come true. Augustus's mother is suspicious of this, but as the music is about to fade away she makes a rushed wish. She wishes that everyone loves her son.
Augustus grows up surrounded with love by everyone and it consequently makes him shallow and vain. The only person who can control him and make him repent is his godfather. Through the years Augustus's mother dies and Augustus falls more and more into a miserable and depressed life where love comes easily to him so it loses its meaning, and he himself can't feel love.
He decides to take a poison to kill himself and just as he is about to drink it his old godfather visits him. He tells him that he has a chance to change his life; he has one wish to do it. He wishes for his mother's wish to be undone. His wish comes true and suddenly a lot of people that he tricked and used before come knocking at his door. Augustus finally ends up in prison. He spends many years there and when he gets out he feels love and appreciation of his surroundings and of the people he meets, despite them looking at him with hate or indifference.
After some time Augustus finds his path home. His mother's house is dark and old but there is a light coming from his godfather's house. He enters it and his godfather greets him. Godfather Binsswanger calls upon angels to sing and dance just like he used to when Augustus was a child. Tired and happy, Augustus dies in his godfather's arms.
Analysis
The message of this story is that love is not something that can be given freely, if it is easily obtained then it loses its true meaning.
The Poet/Der Dichter
Han Fook is a respectable young man who is about to marry his beautiful and wealthy fiancée. But, Han Fook has a dream to become the greatest poet that he can be. One night he is watching the festivities on the side of the river and thinking of the words that can perfectly describe this marvelous scene. Suddenly a man comes out and recites out loud everything that was on Han Fook's mind. He talks to the man and the man tells him if he wants to become the greatest poet he should come to his home to learn.
Han Fook talks to his father and tells him he wants to postpone the marriage and go study with his newfound poetry master. He arrives to the master's place and soon his poetry improves. During his stay there Han Fook gets homesick a couple of time but each time he returns to study poetry with his master.
Time passes by unnoticeably and one morning Han Fook notices that the master is gone. He begins his journey home but learns that all of his family died. Han Fook is an old man now and he once again stands by the river watching the festivities and this time he is the one that recites the most beautiful poem,
Analysis
It is a story about a man so dedicated to his passion that he sacrificed everything and devoted his life to it.
Flute Dream/Flötentraum
A boy is sent by his father to go into the world to pursue his dream of playing songs with his flute. On his way he meets a girl who likes him. He likes her as well but decides to leave her as well to pursue his dream.
Walking, he approaches a mill and next to the mill there is a boat and a man waiting for him. The boy steppes into the boat and it immediately started sailing. The men on the boat scares the boy, but he is surprised to learn that the man plays the most beautiful songs. The boy longs for his home and the girl but the man assures him that they wouldn't be as beautiful if he didn't leave. They sail for some time while the man is singing songs about love and death.
The man suddenly gives him a lantern and disappears. The boy realizes that he is actually an old and sad man and wonders about whether all he experienced was actually a dream. He wants to call for the man but realizes he is not allowed to do that. He looks at his reflection in the water and is met with an old face. Only thing left for him is to sail forward through the darkness.
Analysis
It is a story about regret. There is no return to what's long lost. The only thing left is to sail forward through the darkness.
A Dream about the Gods
A man is in a temple of knowledge and he is listening to a lecture about various gods: god of war, god of sleep etc. He suddenly notices that people around him have become uneasy and started trampling over each other towards the door. There is fire and destruction outside. The man gets out and he sees his childhood friend Gustave. The man turns to a young boy as well, just like Gustave. Everything seems in order now, everyday nightmares are gone. Gods suddenly start rising. The man notices that him and his friend are no longer alone-there are all kinds of people around them bowing before the returned gods.
