Translation:Collection of Slavic Folk Tales/XV
XV
THE ENCHANTED WATCH
(BOHEMIAN TALE)
There was once a very rich man who had three sons. He sent the eldest to travel the world: the boy was gone for three years. Then he returned splendidly dressed, and his father, to reward his fine conduct, gave a great feast in his honor, to which all relatives and friends were invited.
After this feast, the second brother asked his father to let him travel the world. The father was delighted, gave him plenty for the journey, and said: "If you behave as well as your elder brother, I'll honor you as I did him." He promised his father to do his best. His conduct for three years was very proper, then he returned splendidly dressed; and the father was so pleased that he gave him an even more splendid feast than the last.
The third brother was the most foolish: they called him Jenik (Johnny). He did nothing at home but dirty himself with the stove's ashes. He also asked his father's permission to travel the world for three years. The father said: "Go, if you want, fool! What could you gain on the way?" He paid no attention to his father's objections and got permission to leave. The father let him go with great joy, happy to be rid of him: he even gave him a fine sum for the journey.
Once on the road, Jenik arrived at a meadow where he saw shepherds about to kill a dog. He begged them not to kill it but to give it to him. They gave it to him. He continued his journey, and the dog followed him. A bit further, he saw a cat about to be killed, he asked for its life, and the cat followed him. Finally, in another place, he saved a snake in the same way, and it was given to him. And so they went, all four: the dog behind Jenik, the cat behind the dog, and the snake behind the cat.
The snake said to Jenik: "Go wherever I go."
In autumn, when snakes hide in their holes, the snake went to find its king, the king of snakes.
It said to Jenik:
"My king will reproach me for staying out so long: everyone is already back home, and I'm late. I'll tell him I was in danger and that without you, I would have lost my life. The king will ask what reward you want. Ask him for the watch hanging on the wall. It has marvelous powers. You only need to rub it to get what you're thinking of."
No sooner said than done. Jenik got the watch in question. Barely out of the hole, he wanted to test the talisman's power. He was hungry: he rubbed the watch. He thought it would be nice to find a good piece of bread, a good piece of meat, and a jug of wine in the meadow. In an instant, it was all before him. You can imagine his joy.
Evening came. Jenik rubbed his watch and thought it would be nice to have a room, in the room a bed, and in the bed good mattresses, not forgetting a table with a fine supper. In an instant, it was all before him. After supper, he went to bed and slept until morning, as befits an honest man. Then he returned to his father's, greatly looking forward to the feast awaiting him.
But, as he returned in the same clothes he left in, his father did nothing for him: he was angry. Jenik went to the stove and dirtied himself with ashes to his heart's content.
On the third day, he began to get bored, went out, and rubbed the famous watch; he thought it would be nice to see a three-storey house appear, with superb tables in it, and on those tables the most magnificent dishes. You can imagine if the house was well furnished. Jenik went to his father and said:
"You didn't give me a feast. Allow me to offer you one, and come see my dishes."
The father was very surprised. He wanted to know where this fortune came from for his son. Jenik didn't answer but invited him to call friends and relatives to a great feast.
The father invited everyone, and everyone was amazed to see so much luxury, so many dishes, and such fine food on the table. After the first course, Jenik asked his father to invite the king and his daughter, the princess. He rubbed the watch and thought he needed a six-horse carriage, adorned with gold and silver, the harnesses gleaming with gold and silver. The father didn't dare sit in the royal carriage but went on foot to invite the king and his daughter. They were amazed at the carriage's beauty and got in to go to Jenik's feast.
Jenik rubbed the watch and wished that, for six miles, the road be paved with marble to his house. Who was amazed? It was the king; he had never traveled on such a fine road.
Jenik, hearing the king arrive, rubbed the watch and wished for an even finer house, four stories, with ornaments of gold, silver, damask, marvelous tables, and on those tables dishes no king had ever tasted. The king, queen, and princess were amazed. Never had such a palace been seen, nor such a feast. At dessert, the king asked Jenik's father to give him his son as a son-in-law. No sooner said than done. The wedding took place at once. The king left for his palace and left Jenik with his wife in the enchanted house.
Jenik wasn't brilliant in wit: soon, he displeased his wife. She asked him by what power he could build palaces and obtain so many precious things. He told her the story of the watch. She thought of nothing but taking the precious talisman from him and succeeded. One night, she took the watch, rubbed it, and wished for a four-horse carriage at once; she left in this carriage for her father's palace: there she gathered some attendants, put them in the carriage, and reached the seashore. There, she rubbed the watch and thought she wanted to cast a bridge over the sea and build a magnificent house in the middle of the sea. No sooner said than done. The princess entered the house, rubbed the watch, and the bridge disappeared at once.
Jenik, left alone, was quite sheepish. His father, mother, brothers, everyone mocked him. He had only the dog and cat left, whose lives he had saved. He took them with him and went far… very far, for he no longer wanted to live with his family.
He reached vast deserts and saw crows flying toward a mountain. Another crow arrived, and its brothers asked why it had lingered so long. Winter is coming, they said, it's time to migrate to other lands. It told them it had seen a marvelous house on the sea, unlike any it had ever encountered. Jenik, hearing this story, supposed it must be his wife's retreat. He headed to the sea with his dog and cat.
Arriving at the shore, he said to the dog:
"You can swim well, and you, kitty, are nimble. Sit on the dog's back, he'll carry you to that house. There, he'll hide near the door; you, sneak into the room and try to get my watch."
No sooner said than done. The two animals crossed the sea; the dog hid near the house, the cat slipped into the room. The princess recognized it and guessed why it came; she took the watch to the cellar and locked it in a chest. The cat had sneaked into the cellar. Once the princess left, the cat scratched and scratched the chest so hard it made a hole. Then it took the watch in its teeth and calmly waited for the princess to come. As soon as she opened the door, snap! the cat was out, and so was the watch.
Once outside the house, the cat said to the dog:
"We're going to cross the sea. Be careful not to speak to me during the crossing."
The dog took note of the warning and said nothing; but, nearing the shore, he couldn't help asking:
"Do you have the watch?"
The cat didn't answer: it was afraid of dropping the talisman.
At the shore, the dog repeated his question:
"Yes," said the cat.
And the watch fell into the sea. Now the two animals began accusing each other; they looked sadly at the spot where the treasure sank.
Suddenly, a fish came near the shore. The cat grabbed it: they were about to devour it:
"I have nine little children," said the fish. "Spare the life of a family father."
"Fine. But go get us the watch."
The fish did the errand, and they brought the treasure to their master. Jenik rubbed the watch and wished for the princess's house to sink into the sea with all its inhabitants. No sooner said than done. Jenik returned to his parents, and he, the watch, the cat, and the dog lived happily and inseparably until their last day.