The Rhine maidens lure and mock the dwarf Alberich. He curses love and steals the Rhinegold.

In a lonely palace lives Prince Azor who has been transformed by a vengeful fairy into a beastlike form. When a foreign merchant disturbs the palace peace, the creature-occupant demands a human sacrifice as punishment. Zemira, the merchant’s daughter, is ready to give her life but soon discovers Azor's beastly form hides an altogether different soul. Will love save the day?