The once-prosperous Kingdom of Three Ponds has been laid waste by a curse that stripped its waters of every fish, bringing famine and unrest to the people - and bitter conflict to King Boleslav’s court. As schemers vie for power, most dangerously the trickster Nikdáš with a stolen magical rod, the young fisherman Ludvík emerges as the kingdom’s hope, determined to break the curse, restore the fisheries, and win the heart of Princess Lidunka.