A young, bored king will lose his throne to his married nephew unless he weds before reaching thirty. To his mother's despair, the king has no interest in the suitors she has parading for twelve years, only caring for astronomy. A landless farmer's daughter cunningly abuses this passion to attract royal attention and successfully ask for land the family can farm. Having found a golden mortar on it, the honest father brings it to his majesty, but is jailed, suspected of holding back a golden pestle. The daughter gets him freed by winning a riddle dare, with the unsolicited extra price of became the royal fiancee. That ill-considered engagement is easily compromised by challenging the king's misrule on an absurd foal claim.