Jhonathan and the Witchs
"Jhonathan and the Witchs" | |
---|---|
Short story by Stephen King | |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Fairy tale |
Publication | |
Published in | First Words: Earliest Writings from Favorite Contemporary Authors |
Publication type | Anthology |
Publisher | Algonquin Books |
Media type | |
Publication date | 1993 |
"Jhonathan and the Witchs" is a fairy tale by Stephen King. Written in 1956-1957, it was first published in 1993 as part of the anthology First Words: Earliest Writings from Favorite Contemporary Authors. It is the earliest work of King still known to exist.
Plot summary
Jhonathan [sic], the "smart, handsome, and very brave" son of a cobbler, is urged by his father to seek his fortune. While travelling to see the king to ask for work, Jhonathan saves a fairy disguised as a rabbit from hunters; in return, the fairy grants him three wishes. Upon arriving at the kingdom, the king charges Jhonathan with killing three witches living on a nearby mountain; if Jhonathan succeeds within 20 days, he will be given 5,000 crowns, but if he fails, he will be beheaded.
While travelling to the mountain, Jhonathan considers wishing for a knife, but the fairy whispers to him that the first witch cannot be pierced, the second witch cannot be pierced or smothered, and the third witch cannot be pierced or smothered and is invisible. Encountering the first witch in a cave at the foot of the mountain, Jhonathan wishes for her to be smothered. Encountering the second witch higher up the mountain, Jhonathan wishes for her to be crushed. Hearing the third witch's footsteps, Jhonathan wishes for her to become a normal woman, then kills her with a rock. The three witches dead, Jhonathan collects his reward and lives "happily ever after".
Publication
"Jhonathan and the Witchs" was handwritten by King in 1956-1957 at the age of nine for his aunt Gert, who paid him a quarter for every story he produced.[1][2][3][4][5] In 1993, it was published for the first time as part of the anthology First Words: Earliest Writings from Favorite Contemporary Authors edited by Paul Mandelbaum.[5][6][7] It has never been collected in a work by King.[8] It is unclear whether the unusual spelling of "Johnathan" and "witches" in the title is an error or a literary device.[1]
Reception
Rocky Wood describes "Jhonathan and the Witchs" as "a Grimm-like fairy tale" that is "simplistic, clearly written by a juvenile and short" but with "signs of a sophisticated vocabulary and the ability to organize a fairly consistent story."[1]
References
- ^ a b c Wood, Rocky; King, Stephen (2017). Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished. Overlook Connection Press. pp. 184–185. ISBN 978-1-892950-59-8.
- ^ Wilson, Suzan (2000). Stephen King: King of Thrillers and Horror. Enslow Publishers. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-766012-33-2.
- ^ Rolls, Albert (2008). Stephen King: A Biography. ABC-CLIO. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-0-313345-73-9.
- ^ Hoover, David L. (2017). Modes of Composition and the Durability of Style in Literature. Taylor & Francis. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-000262-56-8.
- ^ a b Vincent, Bev (2022). Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. becker&mayer! books. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7-60376-82-9.
- ^ King, Stephen (1993). "Jhonathan and the Witchs". In Mandelbaum, Paul (ed.). First Words: Earliest Writings from Favorite Contemporary Authors. Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-0-945575-71-9.
- ^ Mandelbaum, Paul (ed.). First Words: Earliest Writings from Favorite Contemporary Authors. Algonquin Books. ISBN 978-0-9455-7571-9. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
- ^ Beahm, George (1998). Stephen King from A to Z: An Encyclopedia of His Life and Work. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-8362-6914-7.
See also
- v
- t
- e
- Carrie (1974)
- 'Salem's Lot (1975)
- The Shining (1977)
- The Stand (1978)
- The Dead Zone (1979)
- Firestarter (1980)
- Cujo (1981)
- Christine (1983)
- Pet Sematary (1983)
- Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
- The Talisman (1984)
- It (1986)
- The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
- Misery (1987)
- The Tommyknockers (1987)
- The Dark Half (1989)
- Needful Things (1991)
- Gerald's Game (1992)
- Dolores Claiborne (1992)
- Insomnia (1994)
- Rose Madder (1995)
- The Green Mile (1996)
- Desperation (1996)
- Bag of Bones (1998)
- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
- The Plant (2000; unfinished)
- Dreamcatcher (2001)
- Black House (2001)
- From a Buick 8 (2002)
- The Colorado Kid (2005)
- Cell (2006)
- Lisey's Story (2006)
- Duma Key (2008)
- Under the Dome (2009)
- 11/22/63 (2011)
- Joyland (2013)
- Doctor Sleep (2013)
- Mr. Mercedes (2014)
- Revival (2014)
- Finders Keepers (2015)
- End of Watch (2016)
- Gwendy's Button Box (2017)
- Sleeping Beauties (2017)
- The Outsider (2018)
- Elevation (2018)
- The Institute (2019)
- Later (2021)
- Billy Summers (2021)
- Gwendy's Final Task (2022)
- Fairy Tale (2022)
- Holly (2023)
The Dark Tower series |
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Richard Bachman novels |
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collections
- Night Shift (1978)
- Different Seasons (1982)
- Skeleton Crew (1985)
- Four Past Midnight (1990)
- Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993)
- Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
- Everything's Eventual (2002)
- Just After Sunset (2008)
- Full Dark, No Stars (2010)
- The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015)
- If It Bleeds (2020)
- You Like It Darker (2024)
- Danse Macabre (1981)
- Nightmares in the Sky (1988)
- On Writing (2000)
- Secret Windows (2000)
- Faithful (2004)
- "Guns" (2013)
- Creepshow (1982)
- Cat's Eye (1985)
- Silver Bullet (1985)
- Maximum Overdrive (1986; also director)
- Pet Sematary (1989)
- Sleepwalkers (1992)
- A Good Marriage (2014)
- Cell (2016)
- "Sorry, Right Number" (1987)
- Golden Years (1991)
- The Stand (1994)
- The Shining (1997)
- "Chinga" (1998)
- Storm of the Century (1999)
- Rose Red (2002)
- Kingdom Hospital (2004)
- Desperation (2006)
- "Heads Will Roll" (2014)
- The Stand (2020–21)
- Lisey's Story (2021)
- Heroes for Hope (1985)
- American Vampire (2010)
collaborations
- Michael Jackson's Ghosts (1997)
- Black Ribbons (2010)
- Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (2012)
edited
- The Best American Short Stories 2007 (2007)
- Six Scary Stories (2016)
- Flight or Fright (2018)
concepts
- Dollar Baby
- Fictional locations in Maine
- Castle Rock
- Derry
- Jerusalem's Lot
- Shawshank State Prison
- All-World
- Tabitha King (wife)
- Joe Hill (son)
- Owen King (son)
- List of adaptations
- Bibliography of works on Stephen King
- Raymond H. Fogler Library archives
- Rock Bottom Remainders
- People, Places and Things
- Philtrum Press
- Six Stories
- Stephen King Goes to the Movies
- Charlie the Choo-Choo
- Hearts in Suspension
- The Secretary of Dreams
- King on Screen
- Category