"Jhonathan and the Witchs" is a

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

. 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 , the "smart, handsome, and very brave" son of a

cobbler Cobbler(s) may refer to: *A person who repairs shoes * Cobbler (food), a type of pie Places * The Cobbler, a mountain located near the head of Loch Long in Scotland * Mount Cobbler, Australia Art, entertainment and media * ''The Cobbler' ...

, is urged by his father to seek his fortune. While travelling to see the king to ask for work, Jhonathan saves a

fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

disguised as a rabbit from hunters; in return, the fairy grants him three

wish A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. Sociology Several cu ...

es. Upon arriving at the kingdom, the king charges Jhonathan with killing three

witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...

es 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 Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common c ...

. 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 Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light fr ...

. 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. 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. It has never been collected in a work by King. It is unclear whether the unusual spelling of "

Johnathan Johnathan is a given name. It is an alternative spelling of Jonathan or a combination of the names John and Nathan. Notable people with the name include: American football * Johnathan Abram (born 1996), American football player * Johnathan Gray ...

" and "

witches Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...

" in the title is an error or a

literary device A narrative technique (also, in fiction, a fictional device) is any of several storytelling methods the creator of a story uses, thus effectively relaying information to the audience or making the story more complete, complex, or engaging. Some ...

Reception

Rocky Wood Rocky Wood (19 October 1959 – 1 December 2014) was a New Zealand-born Australian writer and researcher best known for his books about horror author Stephen King. He was the first author from outside North America or Europe to hold the pos ...

describes "Jhonathan and the Witchs" as "a

Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...

-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." Wood further states "...the young author is able to show some inventive touches".

Plot summary

Publication

Reception

References

See also