Der Goldene Topf
By E. T. A. Hoffmann
On Ascension Day in Dresden the clumsy student Anselmus upsets an old apple woman's basket, and soon after hears three little green-gold snakes singing in an elder bush. Hired to copy manuscripts for a strange archivist, he is torn between the everyday world, a girl with plans for him, and a realm of magic. Hoffmann's fairy tale of modern times, told in twelve night watches.
Summary written with Claude Opus 5.5.