Endres wants to be more than just a farmer's son. He wants to be able to read and write, wear clothes without holes and sleep in a proper bed. He goes to the court of the King, who is said to be the cleverest man in the land. Endres becomes his personal servant and every day after dinner brings him a mysterious golden bowl. No-one knows what the bowl contains, not even Princess Leonora. When the queen's ring goes missing, suspicion falls on Endres.
