In a prologue and four acts ( the prologue and the first act are lost so is necessary to describe what happens with some title cards ) the film depicts the terrible dream of Asmus wherein the devil ( Herr Paul Rehkopf ) joins the human world disguised as a tinker. He meets Frau Ane ( Frau Agnes Straub ), Asmus' wife; Ane yearns to have a baby but in vain so the devil takes advantage of Frau Ane's motherly inner desire by making a deal with her but for his own purposes. As a result, the farmer's wife comes under the devil's spell and then seduces the local priest ( Herr Hans Mierendorff ), giving the devil to chance to build his own church to replace the old church that has burned down.