The Enchanted Well (1903)

• 60%
• 1903
• Fantasy
• Georges Méliès

Townspeople are seen walking past the village well. A man and a mule [the latter obviously a person in a mule costume] stop nearby as the man prepares to get water. An old crone accosts the man and begs a hand-out, but the man indignantly refuses. As he turns back to deal with his mule, the crone reveals herself a witch and curses the well, then exits, shaking her fist. The man returns and fetches water, but when he pours it from the well bucket into his own bucket, the water turns to flame. Simultaneously, a demon appears over the well, laughing at the man. As the man rushes at the well, the demon disappears, and the well suddenly surges out of the ground into the sky like Jack's beanstalk. Two snakes [hand puppets] spring out of the side of the well and taunt the man, then vanish. Three demons appear, jeer at the man, and disappear. The base of the well opens up and a dragon emerges, roars, grabs the man by the foot, and attempts to pull him in. Then four human-sized frogs crawl out of the well, encircle the man, seize him, fling him in, and dance away. The man climbs out. The well slides away, then vanishes, replaced by the laughing demon. The villagers arrive and join the man in attempting to capture the demon, but he turns into a bat and flies away.