The Enchanted Watch
Encyclopedia
The Enchanted Watch is a French fairy tale
collected by Paul Sébillot
. Andrew Lang
included it in The Green Fairy Book.
also wanted to go, and his father finally let him, expecting never to see him again. On the way, he saw men about to kill a dog, and asked them to give it to him instead; they did. He acquired a cat and a snake by the same manner. The snake brought him to the king of snakes, telling him how he would have to explain his absence, but then the king would want to reward the son. He told him to ask for a watch, which, when he rubbed it, would give him whatever he wanted.
He went home. Because he wore the same dirty clothing he set out in, his father flew into a rage. A few days later, he used the watch to make a house and invite his father to a feast there. Then he invited the king and the princess. The king was impressed by the marvels the son conjured to entertain them, and married the princess to him. Soon, because he was so foolish, his wife wearied of him. She learned of the watch, stole it, and fled.
The son set out with the dog and cat. They saw an island with a house where the princess had fled and conjured up the house to live. The dog swam to it with the cat on its back; the cat stole it and carried it back in its mouth. The dog asked it how far it was to land, and the cat finally answered; the watch fell from its mouth. The cat caught a fish and freed it only when it promised to bring back the watch. It did so, and they restored the watch to the son. He wished the princess and her house and island to drown in the sea, and went back home.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Paul Sébillot
Paul Sébillot
Paul Sébillot was a French folklorist, painter, and writer. Many of his works are about his native province, Brittany.-Early life and art:...
. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Green Fairy Book.
Synopsis
A rich man's oldest two sons went out and saw the world for three years apiece, and came back. The foolish youngest sonYoungest son
The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters....
also wanted to go, and his father finally let him, expecting never to see him again. On the way, he saw men about to kill a dog, and asked them to give it to him instead; they did. He acquired a cat and a snake by the same manner. The snake brought him to the king of snakes, telling him how he would have to explain his absence, but then the king would want to reward the son. He told him to ask for a watch, which, when he rubbed it, would give him whatever he wanted.
He went home. Because he wore the same dirty clothing he set out in, his father flew into a rage. A few days later, he used the watch to make a house and invite his father to a feast there. Then he invited the king and the princess. The king was impressed by the marvels the son conjured to entertain them, and married the princess to him. Soon, because he was so foolish, his wife wearied of him. She learned of the watch, stole it, and fled.
The son set out with the dog and cat. They saw an island with a house where the princess had fled and conjured up the house to live. The dog swam to it with the cat on its back; the cat stole it and carried it back in its mouth. The dog asked it how far it was to land, and the cat finally answered; the watch fell from its mouth. The cat caught a fish and freed it only when it promised to bring back the watch. It did so, and they restored the watch to the son. He wished the princess and her house and island to drown in the sea, and went back home.