The Dwarf by Hermann Hesse. Short summary

5 seconds

A beautiful girl is about to get married. She allows the cruel groom to kill the dwarf servant’s pets. He gives the man poisoned wine and drinks the poison himself. The belle goes mad.

1 minute

In Venice lives a beautiful lady, narcissistic and selfish. A midget servant lives in her house. He is attached to a parrot and a small dog, Fino, whom he once rescued.

Belle meets the man she is about to marry. She allows the cruel groom to kill the dwarf’s pets, the parrot and Fino the dog.

The servant suffers greatly and does not eat for days. One day he tells the girl about a magic potion, the recipe for which his father knew and gave it to his son. The beautiful girl wants the potion to ensure her lover’s loyalty.

During a gondola ride, the dwarf treats the girl’s fiancé with poisoned wine, which he passes off as a love potion. Then he drinks the poison himself. The beauty goes mad with terror.

Sitting on her balcony she shouts to the passing gondoliers to rescue her dog, Fino.