A village in Saxony in the summer of 1792. The village judge, Adam, is always decreeing new rents and taxes. He particularly has it in for the smith Ruprecht, who is his competitor for the affections of the lovely maiden Ev.

One night, Adam is caught trying seduce Ev but manages to escape unseen, leaving only a broken pitcher behind as evidence. The case is brought before the village court, leading to unforeseeable and comedic consequences.

A boisterous comedy based on Heinrich von Kleist's "The Broken Pitcher."