The Enchanted Lion

The Enchanted Lion is an episode of the international anthology series "Animated Tales of the World". It is an animated adaptation of the fairy tale "The Lady and the Lion" by the Brothers Grimm.

Summary
Once upon a time, a merchant and his servant, Jacob, were returning home from a long trip. The merchant had expensive presents for two of his daughters, but due to the winter season, he was unable to acquire the rose that his youngest and favourite daughter, Hannah, had asked of him. Suddenly, the merchant and Jacob unexpectedly came across a rosebush in full bloom, but a talking lion is infuriated with them for stealing his roses. Upon hearing the merchant's explanation of the rose for his daughter, the lion made a bargain with him: he would be allowed to take the rose he had plucked, but in exchange, he must send to the lion the first person who greets him when he reaches home. Much to the merchant's and Jacob's dismay, that very person turns out to be Hannah, who is overjoyed with her father's return as well as the rose he had brought her.

When she learns of the bargain, Hannah decided to go alone to the lion's castle to fulfill her father's promise, only to see the lion transforming into a handsome young Prince, who introduced himself as Hans. During supper, he explained that he was under two curses placed on him by a powerful witch named Gretta for refusing her marriage proposal: the first being that he had to spend the hours of daylight as a lion. The second was that if he ever heard his favourite tune again, he would be transformed into a dove, and condemned to fly around the earth for seven long years.

As Hannah commiserated with Hans, she inquired if it was impossible to break the curses. He replied that, according to Gretta, he could only be "released in her palace, with her there, and with a loving kiss". In time, Hans and Hannah fell in love and had a son, whom he told her to take to her sister's wedding. However, she insisted that Hans should attend as well and, upon being reminded of the second curse, assured him that she would make arrangements for him to only show up during nighttime, and that he would not hear that tune. During the wedding, Gretta (disguised as an old hag) gives Hannah a present: a music box with a dove in it. Upon hearing the tune, Hans is suddenly transformed into a dove, while Hannah breaks down and Gretta disappears amidst mocking laughter.

Despite this, Hannah was quick to regain her composure, and agreed with Hans that she must follow him in order to break the curses. He assured her that, every now and then, he would let a feather fall to show her his trail, and in the end she would permanently free him. With that, he flew out of the window to begin his sentence of flight around the earth for seven years. And so, for seven long years, through autumns, winters, sunshine, rains, and nights, Hannah and Jacob followed wherever the white dove flew through the trail of white feathers. However, as the seventh year ended, disaster struck: they could find no more feathers. Hannah then appealed to the sun for help, but while she was sympathetic, she had not seen Hans as she was behind a cloud. Instead, she gave Hannah a golden egg to help her later on, and advised her to ask the moon for advice.

That night, Hannah asked the moon about Hans, but he is unable to help her as well, for he was asleep when the dove flew past. Instead, he gave her a silver box as a present, and advised her to ask the wind for help. Fortunately for her, the wind had seen Hans: he had flown to the Red Sea, and was back in his lion-shape, fighting against Gretta (who had taken the form of a dragon). The wind took Hannah and Jacob to the Red Sea where the fight was taking place, and instructed her to take a willow stem and strike the dragon, which would compel both Gretta and Hans to transform back into human form. However, at the very instant Hans became human again, she must take his arm in hers, which would break Gretta's hold on him. Unfortunately, the witch managed to seize Hans before Hannah could reach him, and disappeared with him. The wind quickly encouraged Hannah to keep faith, telling her that he would take them to Gretta's palace, but they had to hurry as Gretta would force Hans to marry her straightaway.

When Hannah and Jacob finally reached Gretta's palace, she wondered as to how she could enter, and he suggested that they open one of the gifts from the sun and the moon. Hannah opened the box to find a breathtakingly beautiful silver gown that shimmered in the light, and she ended up catching everyone's attention as she entered the palace in the gown. Gretta herself was mesmerised by the gown despite being aware of Hannah's true intentions to stop her wedding, and asked to exchange it for hers. Hannah agreed on the condition that she gets one last chance to say goodbye to Hans before his marriage to her. However, Hannah's opportunity to reunite with Hans is ruined over his being doused by Gretta's sleeping potion. Jacob then encouraged her with the golden egg they had received from the sun, which turned out to contain a beautiful hen and two chicks, all made of pure gold, and it gave her an idea.

Disguised as peasants, Jacob and Hannah showed up just as the wedding was about to begin, and Gretta was dazzled by the golden poultry, only to end up being disgruntled upon the realisation that only Hans (as the groom) could receive the present, or the magic would disappear (the chick turned from pure gold to black when she seized it). Upon Hannah's desperate, heartfelt pleas, Hans managed to shake off his magically-induced lethargy and recognise her, leading them to share a loving kiss. This sent Gretta into shrieks of outrage and despair, for that kiss meant her power over Hans was forever broken. As Hans left with Jacob and Hannah for home, the witch disappeared with one final wail of defeat.

Hans and Hannah returned to their family and lived happily ever after.

Voice Cast

 * Tara Fitzgerald - Hannah


 * Tom Hollander - Hans


 * Julie Higginson - Narrator


 * Tom Georgeson - Jacob


 * Sylvestra Le Touzel - Gretta / The Sun


 * Henry Goodman - The Merchant / The Wind