A young shoemaker left his village. Along the way, he found some ants who were very sad because a bear had destroyed their anthill. The shoemaker helped them rebuild it, and the ants offered to return the favor.
Continuing his journey, the shoemaker found some bees facing a similar problem. He helped them as well, and the bees promised to help him in the future.
Further along, the shoemaker learned that the king's daughter was trapped in a witch's castle. He decided to rescue her. The witch, however, locked him in a stinking dungeon with a sack of sand mixed with poppy seeds. She told him that if he couldn't separate the two by dawn, she would cut off his head.
The young man despaired, but his friends the ants came and helped him pass the test. The witch was astounded. She then took him to a room where thirteen maidens stood with their faces covered. The shoemaker had to identify which one was the princess.
Feeling discouraged, the young man then saw a bee land on one of them—the sweetest one, the true princess. When the shoemaker uncovered her face, the witch was changed into a crow. The young people fell in love and lived happily, surrounded by animals and poppies.