The Watchmaker

There was once a poor boy. He took the road and went to find a master. He met with a priest along the way. Where
are you going, my boy?'
"I'm going to find myself a master."
"Mine is the place for you, my boy, because I have another boy like you, and I have six oxen and a plough. You come
into my service and you show the whole field.'
The boy got up and took the plough and the oxen and went to the field and ploughed for two days. Cheers 1 and
Ogre came to him, and Ogre said to Luck, 'Go for him.' Luck didn't want to go for him; only Ogre went. When Ogre
went after him, he lay on his back and unbuttoned his boots and began to run across the plains.
The other boy cried out for him, 'Don't go, brother; don't go, brother.'
"Bah! May God blow your plough and you as well.'
Then he came to a city the size of Bucharest. He has now arrived at a store of a watchmaker. And he leaned his
elbows on the store board and watched the apprentices at their work. Then one of them asked him, 'Why are you
standing there hungry?'
'He said, 'Because I like to see you working.'
Then the master went out and said, 'Here, my boy, I will hire you for three years and show you all that I have
mastered. For a year and a day," he continued, "you will have nothing to do but chop wood and feed the fire of the
furnace and sit with your elbows on the table and look at the apprentices at their work."
Now the watchmaker had had a fifteen-year watch of the emperor, and no one could be found to repair it; he
brought watchmakers from Paris and Vienna, and none of them managed to do so. The time has come when the
king offered half of his kingdom to the one who was to repair it; one and all that failed. The clock had twenty-four
songs in it, and as it was playing, the emperor became young again. Easter Sunday came, and the watchmaker went
to the church with his apprentices. Only the old wife and boy were left behind. The boy quickly cut the wood and
returned to the table where they did their job. He never touched one of the small clocks, but he took the big watch
and placed it on the table. He pulled out two of her pipes and cleaned them and put them back in their place; then
they began to sing the four and twenty songs, and the clock to go. Then the lad hid from fear, and all the people
came out of the church when they heard the songs singing.
The watchmaker also came home and said, 'Mother, who made me this kindness and repaired the clock?'
His mother said, 'Only the boy, dear, went by the table.'
She searched for him and found him sitting in the stable. He took him in his arms, 'My boy, you were my master,
and I never knew, but I had you cut wood on Easter Day.' He then sent for three tailors, and they made him three
fine suits of clothes. The next day he ordered a carriage with four fine horses, and he took the hour in his arms and
went to the king. The emperor, when he heard him, came down from the throne and took his watch in his arms
and became young. Then he said to the watchmaker, 'Bring me the one who repaired the clock.'
He said, 'I've fixed it.'
"Don't tell me it was you. Go and bring me the one who repaired it.'
He then went and brought the boy.
The king said, 'Go, give the watchmaker three purses of the duchies; but the lad you will no longer have, for I want
to give him ten thousand detours a year, only to sit here and think about the clock and fix it when it does not go
well.'
So the boy lived there for thirteen years.
The emperor had a mature daughter and proposed to her to find a husband for her. She wrote a letter and gave it
to her father. And what did he put in the letter? She said this: 'Father, I am thinking of pretending to be stupid; and
whosoever can make me speak, I will be his.'
Then the king proclaimed the world: 'He who can make my daughter speak will take her to the wife, and whosoever
will not kill him.'
Then many suitors came, but none of them made her speak. And the king killed them all, and no one came.
Now the lad, the watchmaker, went to the king and said to him, 'King, let me go to the girl, and see if I can't make
her speak.'
"Well, that's the way it is, my boy. You didn't see the proclamation on the table, how did I swear to kill anyone who
fails to get it to talk?'
'Well, kill me too, O king, if I also fail.'
"In this case, go to it."
The boy dressed bravely and entered her room. She was sewing to her frame. When the boy entered, he said, 'Hello,
you are dishonest.'
Thank you, watchmaker. Well, sit down since you came and take a bite.'
"Well, well, you rogue."
Only he was talking. 1 Then he did not linger, but went out and said, 'Good night, dishonest.'
"Farewell, watchmaker."
The next night the emperor called him to kill him. But the boy said, 'Let me go one more night.' Then the boy went
again and said, 'Good evening, dishonest.'
"Welcome, watchmaker. And since you have come, brother, pray that you sit down at the table.'
Only he spoke, so in the end, he said, "Goodnight, rogue."
"Farewell, watchmaker."
Last night the emperor called him. "I have to kill you now because you've reached your allotted deadline."
Then the lad said, 'Do you know, O king, that there are three times forgiveness for a man?'
"Then go to the night, too."
Then the boy went that night and said, 'How are you doing, dishonest?'
"Thank you, watchmaker. Since you came, you've been sitting at the table.'
"So you guys, rogue. And do we see this knife in my hand? That is, to cut yourself into pieces if you are not going to
answer my question.' And why not answer him, watchmaker?'
"Well, dishonest, do you know the princess?".
"And how can I not know her?"
'And the three princes, you know?'
"I know them, watchmaker."
"Well and well, if you know them. The three brothers had an intrigue with the princess. They didn't know that the
three of them were dealing with her. But what did the virgin do? He knew they were brothers. The eldest came at
nightfall, and she put him at the table and ate. She then slept with him and locked him in a room. The middle one
came at midnight, and she also slept with him and locked him in another room. That same night the youngest came,
and she also stayed with him. Then, at dawn, he let them all out, and they jumped to kill each other, the three
brothers. The Virgin said, "Hold on, brethren, do not kill one another, but go home and take each of you to yourself
ten thousand duchies, and go to three cities; and I will become his who will bring me the best piece of
craftsmanship." So the eldest travelled to Bucharest and there he found a beautiful mirror. Now look at what kind
of mirror it was. "Here, merchant, 1 what is the price of your mirror?" "Ten thousand duchies, my boy." "Isn't it very
dear, brother?" "But mark yourself what kind of mirror it is. You look into it and you can see both the dead and the
living there." Now let's take a look at the middle brother. He went to another city and found a coat. "You, the
merchant, what is the price of this robe?" "Ten thousand duchies, my son."
"What are you talking about, watchmaker? A garment cost ten thousand duchies!' 1
"But look you, you dishonest, what kind of garment it is. For when you step on it, it will take you where you do it.
So it might fancy he shouts "Done!" Meanwhile, the youngest also arrived in a city and found a Jew and bought an
apple from him. And the apple was such that when a dead man ate it, it was revived. He picked it up and came to
his brothers. And when they all came home, they saw their sweetheart dead. And they gave her the apple to eat,
and she arose. And who did he choose then? He chose the younger ones. What do you say?'
And the king's daughter spoke. And the watchmaker took her to his wife. And they got married.