The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm

Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm begin a project to finish a history for a local Duke. Wilhelm is more interested in collecting fairy tales and spends their money to hear them from locals. Tales like The Dancing Princess and The Cobbler and the Elves are woven into the main plot, showing folklore guiding scholarly work.

To test market interest, they stage a storytelling experiment for three children in a bookstore. The event is used to gauge whether publishing a collection of fairy tales could have merit beyond academic circles. The setup foreshadows the later combination of folklore and history that drives their work.

An old woman in the forest tells the tale of The Singing Bone to children, while Wilhelm secretly listens from outside an open window. The story becomes central to the film's fantasy sequence and culminates in a jeweled dragon realized through lavish effects. The scene intertwines myth with the brothers' real-world research.

During his attempt to write down the Duke's family history, Wilhelm's briefcase breaks and the manuscript slips into a stream. He wades into the water to retrieve it, risking the loss of their most important document and jeopardizing the deadline. The pressure also highlights the brothers' precarious finances, which were only waived while they worked.

Wilhelm falls critically ill with pneumonia as a result of the ordeal. In the fever dreams of the night, fairy tale characters come to him begging to be named before he dies. When the fever finally breaks, he regains his health and his resolve to continue their work.

Wilhelm recovers fully and returns to writing, energized by his brush with mortality. While he recuperates, Jacob keeps publishing his own books, including histories and myths to sustain their household. The shared experience deepens the brothers' partnership and rekindles their passion for fairy tales.

Shaken by his brother's illness, Jacob joins Wilhelm in a collaborative effort on the fairy tales. The partnership strengthens as they fuse scholarly history with folkloric storytelling. Their combined voice begins to shape the forthcoming collection.

Meanwhile, Jacob publishes a history of German grammar, a book on myths and legends, and a book on law. These works establish his reputation in the academic world while Wilhelm focuses on collecting and preserving tales. The contrast highlights the brothers' complementary strengths.

They are invited to receive honorary membership at the Berlin Royal Academy, an honor that makes no mention of the tales that sparked their fame. Wilhelm, feeling overlooked, senses the snub and steels himself for a confrontation. Jacob begins to plot how to address the omission in their forthcoming moment.

On the day of the ceremony, Jacob plans to deliver a deliberately insulting speech to puncture the academy's neglect. He intends to remind them of the brothers' contributions and demand proper recognition. The moment sets the stage for a public reclaiming of their legacy.

As their train pulls into the station, hordes of children arrive chanting, 'We want a story.' The street fills with excitement and expectation, signaling a sea change in the brothers' fortunes. Wilhelm begins, 'Once upon a time, there were two brothers,' and the children cheer, signaling the birth of a legendary partnership.

The film closes with a caption card declaring '…and they lived happily ever after,' encapsulating the fairytale fusion of myth and scholarship. The ending suggests that their stories endure beyond the era and continue to enchant audiences. The final shot emphasizes the enduring power of storytelling.