Once upon a time in ancient days when magic was a friend to man, there lived a small dwarf named Churo. Churo was looking for a person who could do exceptional things and possessed a brave heart to help him. He traveled through the lands and began searching for the person who deserved his help until he met a young man named Antonio who lived in a distant village.
Antonio was a clockmaker, generous, intelligent, and dedicated to his work. Churo loved him, got to know him, and they became friends. Churo was waiting for an opportunity to help him.
One day, a messenger from the king came and stood in the middle of the town. He started reading a letter the king had sent to the people. The king was looking for a husband for his daughter. He decided to choose whoever did the most incredible thing to marry his daughter and give him half the kingdom.
When Churo heard the king’s messenger, he said to Antonio, “What will you do to win the princess’s heart?” Antonio said to him, “What will I do?” Churo said to him, “Can’t you do the most incredible thing?” Antonio said to him, “You, Churo, are the most incredible thing in my life. I can’t make anything incredible except bring you to them.”
But Churo said to Antonio, “You make wonderful clocks, and you can make a very wonderful clock that will amaze the princess.” When Antonio went to his home and prepared to sleep, Churo’s words started echoing in his ears, making him unable to sleep. Then he looked at his toolbox, got up from his bed, took out the tools, and started making a clock.
The next day, there were many people in the king’s palace trying to make the most incredible thing. Some were doing strange movements with swords, some claimed they could sleep a whole year, and some were playing with chairs in a juggling manner. But the princess didn’t see anything incredible or distinctive in all those works.
Then Antonio entered before the king, but all the men in the hall were convinced he would lose because he was just a clockmaker. When Antonio uncovered the clock, it was an ordinary clock. The king said to him it was the worst clock he had seen in his life. Antonio asked the king to wait when the clock worked and not judge just by looking.
The king was amazed but decided to give Antonio a chance to make his clock work. When Antonio turned the clock key and the clock struck one, a small wooden man came out of it and said to them that the first rule for living a happy life is faith. Then the man returned inside the clock.
When the clock struck two, dancers came out and performed a wonderful dance. At the third strike, the sun and moon and a wonderful star came out playing notes. At the fourth hour, a hyacinth, a dragonfly, a straw, and dried fruits came out of the clock. This was a true riddle.
All the attendees failed to solve the riddle except the princess. She realized that those things represented the four seasons: the straw represented the autumn festival, the dragonfly represented summer, the hyacinth represented spring, and the dried fruit represented the winter hibernation in winter season.
The clock continued to strike until midnight. A silhouette came out showing only the number 6, which is the number in the clock. At the seventh hour, seven dwarfs came out of the clock and started circling the clock singing. The king realized they represented the seven days of the week.
At the eighth hour, the eight planets came out and started showing the beauty of our solar system. At the ninth hour, fairies came out and began performing a wonderful dance. At the tenth hour, ten counselors came out. At the eleventh hour, two children came out. The girl said, “Come on, let’s play two and nine,” meaning the eleventh hour.
At the twelfth hour, an elderly lady came out and sang twelve songs. Her voice was wonderful and amazed everyone in the palace. The king agreed with all attendees that this clock was the most incredible thing in the kingdom and that Antonio must marry the princess.
But before announcing the wedding date, a young man came carrying an axe and smashed the clock. He said to the king that he had smashed the most incredible thing and this was considered the most incredible thing, and that he was the one who would marry the princess. The king agreed to the man’s words who had destroyed the clock and decided that he was the one who would marry the princess.
Antonio returned to his home sad. When Churo saw him, he thought he must help him. On the wedding day, the princess and the king were extremely sad because they didn’t love the destroyer. But when the destroyer approached the princess, he found all the artifacts that were inside the clock gathering around him and starting to hit him.
The destroyer said that he was sorry for destroying the clock and that Antonio’s clock was the most incredible thing he had seen in his life. Therefore, Antonio deserved to marry the princess. The princess rejoiced, and everyone was happy because Antonio was a talented person who was truly incredible in deed.
Translated from: The Most Incredible Thing