Tick Tock Tale

In a quiet London clock shop, the day ends with the owner tidying up and switching off the lights, unaware that the timepieces hold a secret life of their own. Outside, a stranger checks his pocket watch against the shop’s ticking rhythm before slipping away, leaving the doors to lock behind him as silence settles in. Inside, the clocks sharpen their attention on a lone little clock whose bells trail five minutes behind the others, a difference that sparks quiet mockery from the crowd of companions. The little clock, feeling singled out, tries to alter its features and timing, hoping to fit in, but every change proves futile.

Among the shop’s guardians is The Bobby, a clock with a distinct, talking voice that keeps the others company and guides the shop’s nocturnal rhythm. Just after the night becomes still, the same man who visited earlier returns, and the clocks are forced to freeze in place as the thief methodically surveys the space. Midnight strikes, amplifying the clamor and drawing the thief’s attention to a window in the door that he uses to slip in and out with a bagful of the clocks. The little clock doesn’t stay silent; it fights to break free from the routine moment and, with a bold push, jams itself in the door to keep it from closing completely, giving the thief a moment longer to flee.

Outside, the thief’s misstep becomes a brutal moment for the little clock as the robber stomps it in his haste. The other clocks reel in horror at the slick trauma, their cries and clanks echoing down the street. Yet the disturbance alerts a nearby policeman, whose patrol breaks the rhythm and triggers a pursuit that sends the thief scrambling away with the stolen collection.

The morning light reveals the aftermath: the owner is informed of the failed theft by the watching officer, and the little clock’s shattered remains are swept from the counter and discarded. Yet fate circles back—the little clock, along with the others, is secretly placed back on the shelf by a hidden effort, and a bright sign beside it proclaims, “No repair is too small.” The owner, honoring the shop’s creed, devotes the day to restoring the little clock to full operation. As the little clock is carefully repaired and returned to its place on the shelf, the clocks around it adjust their times to synchronize, allowing the once-mocked clock to ring in harmony with its peers. In that moment, the little clock is seen not as flawed but as a quiet hero, a symbol of resilience that earns the respect and admiration of the entire clock community.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 17:00