The misadventures of Dumkopf, a medieval Village Idiot who yearns to move up in life and become a Fool.

SYNOPSIS:

Dorkendufen, Bavaria, 1250 A.D.

DUMKOPF, 30, bucked-toothed and with a bowl haircut, is the only son of PAPPY, the Village Idiot. Dumkopf has been groomed to take over the family business, but he yearns for something greater. When he sees the king's Fool GLOCKENSPIEL perform stand-up in his village, Dumkopf realizes he'd rather be laughed with than laughed at, and he runs away from home to pursue his dream.

On the road he teams up with RETARDE, a French Village Idiot who now earns a living picking pockets. Not the contents of the pockets, just the pockets themselves. Together they journey to the town of Putz to find their fortune. They decide to apply to Fool School, but quickly learn that no Village Idiot has ever been admitted. Dumkopf undergoes a painful makeover involving a medieval night brace and a fake bushy moustache that will cover his bucked teeth until the primitive orthodontistry has taken effect.

Among Dumkopf's Fool School classmates are SCHNEIDEL, a woman who is pretending to be a man, and BOBBLE, an angry dwarf who rightly suspects that Dumkopf is, in fact, an Idiot. Dumkopf's musical talent attracts Schneidel, and they sleep together, although afterward Dumkopf is distraught because he still thinks she's a man.

Meanwhile, inept KING RUDOLF's decision to mount a crusade against the Turks comes under withering attack from Glockenspiel, who also happens to be having an affair with the nympho QUEEN REGYNA. Even though a Fool is expected to criticize his king, Rudolf orders Glockenspiel's execution and searches for a new fool from among the school's candidates.

Dumkopf and Retarde audition and become Rudolf's new Fools, beginning a life of luxury in the king's court. But all the money, status and wenches in the world can't get Dumkopf to forget HILDEGARD, the beautiful girl from Dorkendufen who scorned him when he was an Idiot. King Rudolf and Dumkopf then trade places and journey together to the countryside to ascertain the mood of the people. Hildegard, now a war widow, tells Dumkopf (whom she thinks is the king) that she can never love another man, and that the king will be loved if he ends the war.

Back in the castle, Dumkopf takes every opportunity to criticize the king and his foolish crusade. Eventually, Dumkopf's frankness lands him and Retarde in the dungeon, but they manage to escape. The king sends a team of ruthless MERCENARIES to catch his erstwhile Fools, but the two former Village Idiots manage to outfox them and get away.

Dumkopf returns to Dorkendufen, only to find that Hildegard is remarried, and his beloved Pappy is on his deathbed. Dumkopf realizes that what he'd been looking for was right in front of him all along. He tracks down his true love Schneidel, settles down with her in Dorkendufen, and takes over the family business as the new Village Idiot.