Long, Wide and Shortsighted

A fairy tale that fell flat with children.

The first part of the performance consists of an extensive lecture Cimrman's Quest for Czech Fairy Tales. The theatrical play itself follows a harrowing journey aimed at restoring the beauty of Princess Goldilocks – she has been cursed by the evil giant Kolodej. In the opening scene, Prince Jason arrives at the royal castle and discovers that his long-awaited bride has (thanks to Kolodej's spells) a beard and a size forty-five foot. He decides to break the curse and sets out with Goldilocks, her royal father, and Bystrозrak to seek advice from Grandfather Allseer. From afar, Jason's twin – the evil Prince Drsony – watches and waits for the right moment to intervene and claim the princess for himself.

Grandfather Allseer, despite his advanced sclerosis, advises them to steal Kolodej's magical ring. A direct confrontation fails, but cunning succeeds – they manage to make Kolodej cry, causing him to pull out his handkerchief and drop the ring from his pocket. The fairy tale has a happy ending: with the stolen ring, Princess Goldilocks regains her beauty.