Help! This is driving me nutz!

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2006)

I KNOW I have heard this story before in the form of a fable. In the fable, a farmer was having difficulties in his life and made a wish he could "skip" his problems. A "fairy" (I think) gives him a shiny silver orb with a string in it. The farmer is told that when something happens that he dosn't want to experience, pull on the string. Small pull, a few hours. Big pull, days or more. Of course, he pulls too much. In the end of the fable, the fairy admonishes the farmer after the farmer cries "where has my life gone?" The Moral of the fable is that we should endure life's problems and experience life fully. I am not crazy. Can someone pleeeeze tell me the title of the fable and the author? I can't stand it when these Hollywood types rip off the classics and don't give proper credit.