These books were translated into at least 34 languages (e.g.: French: Le Brigand Briquambroque, Italian: Il Brigante Pennastorta, Spanish: El bandido Saltodemata, Turkish: Haydut Haytazot).
Originally meant for a puppet theater play, it was released in late May 2018 with permission and cooperation of Preußler's daughter Susanne Preußler-Bitsch.
[3] Kasperl and Seppel plan to catch the robber Hotzenplotz, as they do not think that local police officer Alois Dimpfelmoser is capable of doing so.
After carrying the wooden box into the forest as a fake gold transport, Hotzenplotz appears immediately and takes it.
When heated words are exchanged between them, Zwackelmann transforms Hotzenplotz into a eurasian bullfinch and puts him into a cage before leaving the castle to search for Kasperl.
Grateful for her rescue, Amaryllis gives Kasperl a ring with three wishes, and after Seppel and the enchanted Hotzenplotz are recovered, she destroys Zwackelmann's castle and returns to the fairy world.
After donning a spare uniform, Dimpfelmoser, Kasperl and Seppel attempt to lure Hotzenplotz back into the firehouse with the help of a false treasure map.
Hotzenplotz discovers the ruse and locks Kasperl, Seppel and Dimpfelmoser into the firehouse, but they free themselves by using the fire truck to break through the walls.
In order to keep an eye on them without Hotzenplotz knowing, Dimpfelmoser consults Mrs Schlotterbeck, a local widow and fortuneteller, and uses her crystal ball to observe the transaction.
Originally a dachshund, Wasti's body was transformed into a crocodile by a botched spell by Mrs Schlotterbeck when she had once dabbled in magic.
After their triumphant return, Hotzenplotz is transferred to the next district capital prison, and Grandmother cooks a sauerkraut and bratwurst dinner for everybody.
However, still distrusting him, Dimpfelmoser, Kasperl and Seppel visit widow Schlotterbeck to spy on Hotzenplotz with the help of her crystal ball.
On their way to the den, they build a trap by rigging a trip rope and a sand bag to fall on their intended victim's head.
Hotzenplotz arrives, and after helping Seppel recover, he convinces the boys that he wants to go straight, and proves his claims by destroying his remaining gunpowder before their eyes and then throwing his weapons into a moor.
During the night, Kasperl receives a dream message from the fairy Amaryllis, who tells him that he needs a certain herb he knows to turn Wasti, Schlotterbeck's transformed dachshund, back into his old form.
In the meantime, Dimpfelmoser was led by Wasti to the moor where Kasperl and Seppel buried Hotzenplotz's weapons, and is stuck in the mire.
Kasperl and Seppel continue their search with Wasti, find Hotzenplotz in the high heath near Zwackelmann's ruined castle, and convince him to stay.
Schlotterbeck invites all to a celebration and takes a look into the future for Hotzenplotz, where she foresees that he will open a tavern called “The Robber's Den”.
It is remarkable that in Hotzenplotz 3, Preußler turns around the pattern of the classical robber tale and introduces a subversive profile with the innocent suspect, who has to hide from the police.