When the tale begins, a contest has been proclaimed in which half the kingdom and the hand of the princess in marriage will be the rewards of he who can produce the most incredible thing. A poor young man creates a magnificent clock with different lifelike figures —
Moses,
Adam and Eve, the Four
Seasons, the Five
Senses, and others — which appear at the stroke of the hour. All agree the clock is the most incredible thing and its creator is named the winner. Suddenly, another man smashes the clock and all then agree that this act is even more incredible than the creation of the beautiful clock. The destroyer is to wed the princess, but at the wedding, the figures of the clock magically reappear, defeat him, and then vanish. All agree that this is the most incredible thing, and the princess and the young creator of the clock marry.
The figures Each hour on the clock is represented by a figure from the Bible, mythology, folklore or common knowledge. • One o'clock: Moses, writing the first of the ten commandments • Two o'clock: Adam and Eve • Three o'clock: The Three Wise Men • Four o'clock: The Four Seasons, represented by a cuckoo bird (spring), a grasshopper (summer), an empty stork's nest (autumn), and an old crow (winter) • Five o'clock: The Five Senses, represented by a spectacle maker (sight), a coppersmith (hearing), a flower girl (smell), a cook (taste), and an undertaker (touch) • Six o'clock: A gambler, who always rolled sixes • Seven o'clock: The seven days of the week, or the seven deadly sins • Eight o'clock: A choir of eight singing monks • Nine o'clock: The Muses of Greek mythology • Ten o'clock: Moses returns with the rest of the Ten Commandments • Eleven o'clock: Eleven children played and sang "Two and two and seven, the clock has struck eleven" • Twelve o'clock: A night watchman announces the birth of Christ ==Stage adaptations==