The evening is named for its first story, a Czech tale in which a charcoal burner's son, predestined by his fairy godmother to marry a princess, is sent by the evil King on a quest to find the sun's three golden hairs. Resolving three more difficult tasks along the way, he returns with rich rewards, angering the envious King who gets his comeuppance. 

The second tale, 'Salt over Gold,' is a Slovak story with echoes of 'King Lear.' A princess who values her father "only as much as salt" is banished, but returns to save her dad when salt disappears, throwing the kingdom into disarray.

The third tale is a version of the same story, known to Italian readers as 'Dear as Salt,' from Italo Calvino's famous 1956 collection, 'Italian Fables.'