Die Weichnachtsgans Auguste (Auguste the Christmas Goose)
 
1985, East Germany, 22 minutes, color
Director: Günter Rätz
Screenplay: Günter Rätz
Director of Photography: Rudolf Uebe
Music: Manfred Pieper
Puppets: Sybille Härtel
Animation: Günter Rätz, Sybille Zumpe
Based on a story by Friedrich Wolf
VHS-PAL, no subtitles - renting information

Synopsis:

The opera singer Luitpold Löwenhaupt buys a goose to roast for Christmas dinner-- but already in November!  His children have other plans for the goose, whom they name Auguste or "Gustje;"  they want to keep Gustje as a pet and playmate.  Right away from the first day the problems begin:  the parents think Gustje should sleep in the basement, but the children bring Gustje up to their rooms.  Especially little Peter becomes attached to the goose, and shares his bed with it.  Although their mother tries to persuade Luitpold to let the children keep their pet, he is determined to have his Christmas goose dinner. 

Grandmother is firm:  if Luitpold wants goose for dinner, he has to slaughter Gustje himself.  Try as he might, he just can't do it.  Luitpold tries once, twice-- and seems to succeed.  But in the end, Gustje is welcomed into the family, and shares Christmas Eve with the Löwenhaupts.