Funded by
|
Characters
Zangler, a grocer in a small town
Marie, his niece and ward
Weinberl, sales assistant
Christopherl, apprentice
Kraps, servant
Mrs. Gertrud, housekeeper
Melchior, an itinerant servant
August Sonders
Hupfer, a master tailor
Madame Knorr, ladies outfitter in the capital
Mrs. von Fischer, widow
Miss Blumenblatt, Zangler’s sister-in-law
Brunninger, businessman
Philippine, milliner
Lisett, housemaid at Miss Blumenblatt’s
A caretaker
A hired coachman
A constable
Rab, a crook
1st and 2nd waiters
Zangler is refusing to let his ward Marie marry the penniless Sonders. For her
protection he wants to send her to his sister-in-law in the city. Zangler tells
his shop workers, Weinerbl and Christoph, of his plans – which is to marry
after spending three days away in the city. He has decided to promote them in
the light of his forthcoming wedding, and leaves the shop in their care while
he is away. They decide to shut up shop in his absence and have one special fling
before the responsibilities of their promotion ties them down. They also head
off to Vienna, where they almost immediately come close to bumping into Zangler.
To hide from him they duck into a lady’s clothes shop, where Weinerbl gets
caught up in pretending to be the husband of a lady, Mrs Fischer, he has never
met before, but who is surprised but happy to play along with the charade. Meanwhile
Marie and Sonders have also come to Vienna, and are seen alighting from a coach
and going into an inn. Zangler gives the order to the coachman to take them to
his sister-in-law’s on their return journey. The ladies with whom Christoph
and Weinerbl have hooked up, also want to go to the inn. Melchior, Zangler’s
servant, appears and demands to have the whole salon for his master alone – seeing
who it is, they quickly have a screen set up to hide them from Zangler. Christoph
and Weinerbl can’t possibly afford the enormous bill, so they creep away
unnoticed – with Christoph disguised as a lady, and climb into Sonders’ coach.
The coachman and constable take them for Marie and Sonders, as do Zangler and
Melchior – but then Sonders and Marie appear in the inn, and at the same
time as Zangler sees his bride to be – Madame Knorr, the lady whose shop
Weinerbl and Christoph had entered, and who came with them to the inn. General
confusion prevails.
Weinberl and Christoph are delivered
by the coachman and guard to Miss Blumenblatt,
who hasn’t seen her niece for years, and therefore, finding her niece’s
predicament very romantic, doesn’t notice the substitution. Melchior appears
and reveals the truth of the situation, but Miss Blumenblatt doesn’t believe
him. Sonders appears and makes out he is Marie’s guard – again Melchior
tries to reveal the truth, but is not believed – and Miss Blumenblatt calls
the constable. Zangler arrives with his bride, Madame Knorr, and Mrs. Fischer,
and in the confusion, Weinberl, Christoph and Sonders manage to escape. Zangler
expains who Melchior is, and hands Marie over to his sister-in-law, Miss Blumenblatt.
On arriving back at the shop, Weinerbl and Christoph discover Rab and a dismissed
servant of Zangler’s, Kraps, in the process of breaking in to the shop.
They play a trick on them, which gives them time to catch them – Zangler
arrives back at the shop as well, along with the rest of the party, and is full
of praise for Weinberl and Christoph. Weinerbl manages to escape his presence
in Vienna being made known by Mrs. Fischer, by offering her his hand in marriage.
Meanwhile Sonders has come into an inheritance, and so the path is clear for
him to marry Marie. The play ends with the prospect of three weddings.
top
|