Herzog Ernst

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Duke Ernest

A film by Lutz Dammbeck

This is Duke Ernest.

He lives with his beloved mother

in his dead father's castle

and wants to be a good knight.

But the times are unfavourable.

Bad harvests, famine, and other troubles

make life hard for all the knights.

And:
There are too many knights

and not enough land.

But something could end all their woes:

The legendary, magical Carbuncle Stone.

One day, at a heavenly sign, they will

set out in search of the magic stone.

While they waited for the sign,

they dozed away all day long.

Their only distraction was

preparing for the Emperor's tournament:

The event of the year!

Ernest also prepared zealously

for the tournament.

Ernest's castle

was right next to the Emperor's.

The Emperor coveted the castle,

but how could he get rid of Ernest?

His faithful counsel, the Bishop,

had an idea...

Two of the Emperor's favourite knights,

the Black Knight and his brother,

would be needed.

So it came to pass

that the knights were called

to the tournament early that year...

Ernest set off for the tournament too.

"Out of the way, runt!" cried the Black

Knight, "We're the Emperor's knights!"

"We'll see about that!" cried Ernest

boldly, and raised his lance.

"He's killed my brother!",

moaned the Black Knight.

"Throw him in the dungeon

and put him on trial!"

"That's that!"

Laughed the Black Knight.

With Ernest in the Emperor's dungeon,

the tournament began.

While Ernest anxiously awaited

his trial, the knights celebrated.

That night,

Ernest was woken by strange apparitions.

"Behold the heavenly sign!"

Cried the Bishop.

"Let us set out

for the Land of Milk and Honey!

There we will free the Carbuncle Stone

from it's custodians!"

"Wealth and inestimable treasures

await those knights

who undertake this perilous mission

and return with the Carbuncle Stone."

Many knights readied themselves

for the great expedition,

glad to be escaping the daily grind.

Meanwhile, in the Emperor's castle,

Ernest's trial began...

"I am innocent," said Ernest.

"You killed one of my favourite

knights!" cried the Emperor.

"What is the verdict?"

"Guilty! Guilty!"

Cried the other knights,

"He must forfeit his life!"

Ernest's mother threw herself

to the Emperor's feet

and begged him to spare her son.

"What now?"

Thought the Emperor,

"I have Ernest's castle anyway,

but how do I make the woman mine?

I covet her, too."

"Very well," said the Emperor.

"I will spare Ernest's life

under two conditions:

You must marry me,

and Ernest must go to the Promised Land

and bring me the Carbuncle Stone.

The Black Knight will lead the mission.

Ernest must obey him."

Glad to have escaped with his life,

Ernest swore he would find the stone.

Ernest's mother waved sadly goodbye

to Ernest as the ships put out to sea.

"Where are we going?" Ernest asked,

"What does the Stone look like?"

In the meantime,

the Emperor married Ernest's mother

and made himself at home in his castle.

Soon the ships faced a mighty storm.

For a second time,

Ernest feared for his life.

"Ach," sighed Ernest's mother,

"I wonder where Ernest is

and if he is still alive."

Ernest was alive but in great danger.

The remaining knights weighed anchor

off the coast of an unknown land.

"Beyond this mountain", said the Black

Knight, "is where the Stone must be."

It was hot.

The knights' armour was heavy

and caused them to overheat.

One knight fewer.

But the others carried on...

Deeper and deeper into the unknown land.

Next day,

the knights reached a broad plain.

Had they reached their goal?

And where were the Stone

and the promised treasures?

"Start by searching that strange fruit,"

commanded the Black Knight.

The next day, the knights prayed

together and gathered new courage.

"Strange," thought Ernest,

No one knows what the Stone looks like,

no one knows where it is."

"Onward!" cried the Black Knight,

"Something is moving up ahead!"

"Do you know the way

to the Carbuncle Stone?"

"Come out of there!"

"Sorry, we don't. Sorry, we don't.

Sorry, we don't..."

whispered the snorkel animals,

"Sorry, we don't, noble sirs."

"Never mind," laughed the knights,

"You can serve us as horses. Giddy up!"

After a long ride, the knights

reached the city of the Agrippini.

"Look at those strange turbans!"

Said the Black Knight.

"The stone must be hidden

somewhere in there."

"Search every single nook and cranny,"

ordered the Black Knight.

The music attracted the Agrippini.

The inhabitants of the turban-city

loved music and dance above all else.

They politely asked the knights

to join them in a dance.

The princess of the Agrippini was also

curious about the strange iron boxes.

"Stop this foolery!"

Cried the Black Knight.

And his knights ran through

the nearest Agrippina with their lances.

This sent the Agrippini into a terrible

rage, and a furious battle began.

Ernest did his duty

and fought alongside the knights.

Then suddenly Ernest stopped.

He stood there thunderstruck,

unable to move.

He was captivated

by a strangely beautiful face.

He had never seen anything so beautiful

in all his life.

"Kill her, Ernest!"

Screamed the Black Knight.

Ernest was engulfed by darkness,

and he fell into a deep night.

At dawn, the remaining knights gathered

and counted their number.

"Ernest seems to be dead,"

thought the Black Knight,

"I'm finally rid of him."

The princess gazed curiously at the

strange being who had spared her life.

What lay hidden beneath

those iron plates?

"Who are you?" the Princess asked.

"I'm Duke Ernest.

I'm looking for the Carbuncle Stone,

so I can go home.

And who are you?"

"I'm Atessa, Princess of the Agrippini.

Since you spared me,

I'm going to help you.

But we will have to overcome

five obstacles

in order to reach the land of the

Caliph, where the Carbuncle Stone is.

The road is long and dangerous.

First comes the land of the Pannochs.

One of the Pannochs

is a friend of mine. He will help us."

"Look!" cried the knights,

"Ernest is alive after all!"

"Stand aside, Ernest!"

Ordered the Black Knight,

"We'll show this strange bird

what a real knight is!"

"Wait!" cried Ernest,

"She's going to help us

find the Carb..."

"Attack!" cried the Black Knight.

"Stand aside, Ernest,

she's not one of us!"

"He looks quite nice, does Duke Ernest,"

the Princess thought quietly to herself.

The Pannochs arose

and blew up a fierce storm.

The Princess soon found her Pannoch

friend and told him Ernest's story.

She told him about

the knights' mission to find the Stone,

how Ernest had saved her life,

and how he had lost part of his armour.

"I must find the Stone,

or I can't go home. Please help me."

"Very well," said the Pannoch,

"Do you see that mountain?"

"It's the Magnetic Mountain. It attracts

everything in its proximity.

It exerts an irresistible pull

on anything that crosses this line.

It is also the home of the Rocs,

who devour everything they catch.

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