Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Three Cleaning Assignments
Three cleaners begin work in different parts of a tall city clock. One ignores warning signs while mopping the mainspring, setting off the first mishap.
Key Events
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Clock Tower Cleaning Assignment — Three cleaners are assigned to clean the tall clock tower.
Location: City clock tower
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Mop Ride on the Clock Face — One cleaner rides the second hand while mopping the clock face.
Location: Outside the clock face
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Brushing the Clock Gears — A cleaner brushes the teeth of the clock's gears.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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Mopping the Mainspring — A cleaner mops the mainspring despite several warning signs.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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The Trapped Mainspring Cleaner — The mop catches in the spring, which releases and traps the cleaner inside.
Location: Inside the clock tower
Stork and Spring Troubles
A sleeping stork proves nearly impossible to move and leaves one cleaner dangling from a rope. Elsewhere, a trapped cleaner struggles with the mainspring, whose movements and echoes turn the repair into a comic contest.
Key Events
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The Trapped Mainspring Cleaner — The mop catches in the spring, which releases and traps the cleaner inside.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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A Sleeping Stork — The clock-face cleaner encounters a sleeping stork inside the tower.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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The Stork Will Not Move — Repeated attempts to move the stork fail, and it returns to its original position.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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The Stork Carries the Cleaner — After being thrown out, the stork flies back in, carries the cleaner, and leaves him hanging from a rope.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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Hammering the Mainspring — The trapped cleaner tries to put the mainspring back using a mallet.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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The Echoing Spring Argument — The loose spring taps the cleaner and echoes his shouted words.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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The Mallet Rebounds — A mallet strike rebounds from the spring and knocks the cleaner off balance.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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Caught in the Balance Wheel — The cleaner's head gets stuck in a gear, and his body keeps moving after he is freed.
Location: Inside the clock tower
Four O'Clock in the Bell
A cleaner working inside the bell is repeatedly shaken by its mechanical figures as they strike the hour. His attempts to anticipate the next strike end in a blow from the statue's torch arm.
Key Events
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Caught in the Balance Wheel — The cleaner's head gets stuck in a gear, and his body keeps moving after he is freed.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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Cleaning the Outside Bell — A cleaner sings while cleaning the outside and interior of the bell.
Location: Outside the clock tower bell
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The Four O'Clock Chimes — At four o'clock, two mechanical statues take turns striking the bell four times.
Location: Clock tower bell
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The First Bell Strike — The first statue rings the bell while the cleaner is inside, making his head vibrate.
Location: Inside the bell
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Liberty Rings Again — The second statue strikes the bell and vibrates the cleaner again.
Location: Inside the bell
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The Cleaner Prepares — After the third strike, the cleaner prepares to confront the next bell ringer.
Location: Inside the bell
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A Bow and a Torch Blow — The cleaner bows to the statue before its torch arm drops and knocks him on the head.
Location: Inside the bell
A Catastrophic Landing
A cleaner tries to rescue his dazed companion as they teeter outside the tower. They crash through a window, undo the mainspring repair, and end up moving together in a clock gear.
Key Events
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A Bow and a Torch Blow — The cleaner bows to the statue before its torch arm drops and knocks him on the head.
Location: Inside the bell
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The Near Fall Rescue — A second cleaner repeatedly tries to save the dazed bell cleaner from falling.
Location: Outside the clock tower
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The Mainspring Unwinds Again — Both cleaners fly through a window and land on the repaired mainspring, undoing its work.
Location: Inside the clock tower
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The Clockwork Rhythm — All three cleaners land in the same gear and move in a comic rhythm.
Location: Inside the clock tower
