Zwerg Nase (1953)

12-year-old Jakob helps out at his mother's vegetable stand and also carries customers' purchased goods home. One day, an old woman with a long nose comes to the stand and claims that the herbs are bad and were better 50 years ago. Jakob is upset that she holds all the herbs to her nose and crushes them: "Take it away from your long nose!" he shouts and hits her hand. "Don't you like it, my beautiful long nose?" the woman scoffs, "You should have one too, even longer than mine." Finally, she buys some cabbages, which she wants Jakob to carry home for her. Jakob resists but is persuaded by his mother. Other market women whisper whether the old woman is not the evil fairy Kräuterweis. In her house, the old woman begins to cast spells and gives Jakob a soup that puts him in a dreamlike state: He has to work for the old woman for seven years, including three years of cooking, and is transformed into a dwarf with a long nose as punishment for his insolence. Jakob wakes up after seven years and runs back, but his parents don't recognize him and he is left on his own. He applies as a cook at the Duke's court, where the head chef lets him cook as a test. The Duke is thrilled and immediately hires him as a sous chef "Dwarf Nose", who achieves nationwide fame. A goose bought at the market, the enchanted Princess Mimi, begins to speak; Jakob secretly keeps her in his room. The Duke receives a visit from the Prince, Jakob cooks for two weeks, finally the Prince demands the queen of all dishes, the Souzeraine pâté. Jakob doesn't know it, but Mimi does, they both cook it together at night, but the guest is missing the herb Niesmitlust. The Duke is extremely annoyed, promises the Prince the pâté for the next day as he knows it or the head of his sous chef. Mimi, who only forgot the herb, leads Jakob the next night to the magic herb that grows at full moon, which Jakob recognizes as the one from Kräuterweis' soup. In his room, he smells it strongly and loses his long nose, dwarfism and hunchback. Both flee to the castle to Mimi's father, who gives his daughter back her human form and, at Jakob's request, conjures up his parents.