In medieval Germany, poor and witty Till Eulenspiegel fools and cheats citizens, churchmen, and landlords. Although in most cases he uses his wit for personal well-being, he often helps the poor and weak. Eventually, he gains an influential but also dangerous position as royal fool at the court of the emperor.

A farmer receives land from the king and discovers a buried golden mortar. He decides to give it to the king out of gratitude, but his clever daughter warns him that the king will surely want him to bring a corresponding pestle as well. When the king throws the farmer into jail for fraud, he bemoans the fact that he did not listen to his daughter.

该片是民主德国唯一一部摘夺柏林金熊奖的影片：德国士兵理查德和卡尔在一战中遭俄国人俘虏，因为成为了亲密无间的朋友。理查德经常向卡尔谈到家中的妻子安娜，通过这些故事，卡尔的脑海中已然爱上了她。当卡尔独自潜逃并来到理查德家中，安娜明知他并非自己的丈夫，并试图抵抗后者的爱，却仍旧未能阻止爱情在两人之间的滋生。不料战争结束后，理查德也终于返回了故乡，三人由此陷入了艰难境地。（小易甫字幕组）