One of the most beautiful astronomical clocks in the world is located on the tower of the Old Town Square. People from all over the world have been coming to see this miracle for centuries. On the large dial, they can track the movements of the sun and the moon’s phases. Every hour, they admire the moving statues of the apostles in the upper windows. According to an old legend, however, the production of the astronomical clock cost its creator a truly cruel price. His name was Master Hanuš. He spent many long years of incredibly hard work building the huge and complex machine.

Hanuš drew hundreds of blueprints. With his own hands, he then made absolutely every small and large cogwheel. When the astronomical clock was ceremoniously set in motion, all Praguers were literally rendered speechless with amazement. News of such a miracle immediately spread throughout Europe at the time. Noble envoys from foreign countries soon began visiting Hanuš. Each promised him large bags of gold if he would build a similar clock for their own city. All the powerful wanted to have the same beautiful astronomical clock at home.

However, this unexpected huge fame did not please the Prague councilors at all. Instead of gratitude, they became jealous. A huge fear and selfishness overcame them. They did not want anyone else to have a similar and God forbid more beautiful astronomical clock at home. They therefore devised an incredibly evil and cruel plan. One dark evening, they paid hired criminals. They broke into the home of the old and kind Hanuš. They surprised him by the fire and knocked him to the ground. With a red-hot iron from the fireplace, they then quite mercilessly burned out both his eyes.

In immense pain, Master Hanuš plunged into absolute darkness forever. But before the injured master finally died, he asked his apprentice for one last great favor. He wished the young man to secretly lead him to the heart of the Old Town astronomical clock. The blind master sadly felt the cogwheels he had made years ago for the last time from memory. Then, out of nowhere like a blind man, he took a handful of ash and stones from memory. He threw them deftly straight into the most important part of the machine’s movement and with all his might tore out an important spring. The great beautiful mechanical machine immediately stopped with a terrifying creaking. Old Master Hanuš subsequently died of grief. The astronomical clock then fell silent in protest and stopped for many long years because no one in the wide area could repair it at all.