Once upon a time, a young and cheerful painter named Makar was invited to the king's palace... There he saw a beautiful woman trying on a crown. Makar fell in love, but was expelled from the palace. After undergoing all kinds of trials and heroic deeds, the former painter came to the palace to ask for the princess's hand in marriage, but saw before him a capricious ugly woman—and realized that he had been enchanted by the servant Katya.