Antonín Jiráček

When something flashes across the pond dam in the early evening, it could be the gamekeeper Čeřínek, or the poacher Kopýtko and the tailor Nitka, or... could it be Pepík and Franta? A water sprite, no, water sprites don't exist, only superstitious old women and the poor fish warden, who is a little scared of guarding the carp in the tower, believe in them. At least that's what Kopýtko and Nitka think as they plunder the pond so that their mischievous wives can show off. And what if they manage to catch a colossal fish, a carp bigger than anyone has ever seen before? Immediately, a plan emerges in their greedy minds to pass the carp off as a water sprite, display it in pubs, and make a fortune.

Even a small child knows that people go to hell for their bad deeds—especially if the devils are targeting evil, envious, exploitative, greedy, and lazy people... Of course, everyone thinks that this applies to everyone else, that they themselves are not really that bad, and, most importantly, that they have plenty of time to improve. Of course, the desire to improve is the first step in the right direction, but Vašek, the hero of our fairy tale, doesn't even have that desire. He quite likes his lazy nature. And why wouldn't he, when his parents, and even his sweetheart Andulka, can't do anything but complain and sigh and hope that maybe one day... The offer of help comes from a completely unexpected source—Beelzebub himself, the chief prince of all devils and she-devils, takes Vašek to hell for a year to re-educate him. Of course, this isn't for free, and there's a nasty trick hidden in it.

If you're scared, don't go into the woods. You'll see how true this saying is in this fun fairy tale, where you'll meet kind Andulka, who lives in a little cottage near the woods. She goes there to pick herbs, which she uses to heal people's little and big aches and pains. Andulka is a fearless girl. Her boyfriend, the musician Vítek, on the other hand, is quite a coward. He loves Andulka very much, but he is afraid to marry her and move in with her. He is afraid of the forest, whose mysterious thickets are surely home to goblins and perhaps even witches.