A stranger dressed in black visits the shop of eyeglass maker Hans Schmidt. He asks Schmidt to make a lens that shows only beauty to anyone who uses it. Before he can make the lens, he must search for the answer his grandson’s question, “What is beauty?” A priest at a monastery gives him a holy book and suggests that if he reads the book, he will find the answer. After reading the book, he makes the lens. The country’s grand duke visits Schmidt’s shop with his wife. They try the lens and are so pleased, they take it back to their castle. The stranger visits Schmidt again and requests that he now make a lens that shows the truth, because not everything is beautiful. The priest at the monastery says Schmidt will find truth in the same holy book. After he makes the lens, the grand duke and his wife return to try it out.