The Enchanted Watch facts for kids

The Enchanted Watch is a French fairy tale that was first written down by Paul Sébillot (1843–1918). Later, Andrew Lang included this story in his famous book, The Green Fairy Book, which was published in 1892. It's a tale about a magical item and a young man's adventures.

The Youngest Son's Big Adventure

Once upon a time, there was a very rich man who had three sons. His two older sons were quite adventurous. They each traveled the world for three years and then came back home, full of stories.

The youngest son was a bit different. People thought he was foolish, but he also wanted to see the world. His father didn't think he would do well and expected never to see him again. Still, he finally let his youngest son go on his own journey.

As the young man traveled, he saw some men about to hurt a dog. He felt sorry for the dog and asked the men to give it to him instead. They agreed, and the dog became his friend. He then saved a cat and a snake in the same way, and they also joined him on his travels.

The Magic Watch Appears

The snake, who was very clever, led the young man to the king of all snakes. The snake king was very grateful that the young man had saved one of his subjects. He wanted to give the young man a special reward.

The snake had already told the young man what to ask for. So, when the snake king offered a gift, the young man asked for a magical watch. This wasn't just any watch; if he rubbed it, it would give him anything he wished for!

A Royal Wedding and a Tricky Wife

After a long time, the young man returned home. He was still wearing the same dirty clothes he had left in. His father was very angry to see him looking so messy.

A few days later, the young man decided to show his father what he could do. He used his magic watch to create a beautiful house and invited his father to a grand feast there. Then, he even invited the king and the princess! The king was amazed by all the wonderful things the young man conjured up to entertain them. He was so impressed that he allowed the princess to marry the young man.

However, the princess soon grew tired of her husband because she thought he was foolish. She learned about his magic watch, secretly stole it, and ran away.

Getting the Watch Back

The young man was very sad when he realized his watch was gone. He set out to find it, taking his loyal dog and cat with him. They soon found an island with a house on it. This was where the princess had fled and used the watch to create a new home for herself.

The brave dog swam across the water to the island, with the clever cat riding on its back. The cat snuck into the house and managed to steal the watch back. It then carried the watch in its mouth and rode back on the dog's back.

As they swam, the dog asked the cat how far it was to land. The cat, forgetting it had the watch in its mouth, finally answered. The watch immediately fell out! Luckily, the cat quickly caught a fish and only let it go when the fish promised to bring the watch back. The fish kept its promise, and the watch was returned to the young man.

The End of the Tale

With his magic watch back, the young man made a final wish. He wished for the princess, her house, and the island to be swallowed by the sea, so she could never bother him again. After that, he went back home, now truly understanding the power of his magical watch.