THE FLYING TRUNK.docx

THE FLYING TRUNK.docx

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THEFLYINGTRUNK

THEFLYINGTRUNK

THERE,wasonceamerchant,whowassorichthathecouldpavethewholestreetwithsilvercoins,andalmosthaveenoughleftforalittlelane.Buthedidnotdothat;heknewhowtoemployhismoneydifferently.Whenhespentashillinghegotbackacrown,suchaclevermerchantwashe;andthiscontinuedtillhedied.

Hissonnowgotallthismoney;andhelivedmerrily,goingtothemasqueradeeveryevening,makingkitesoutofdollarnotes,andplayingatducksanddrakesontheseacoastwithgoldpiecesinsteadofpebbles.Inthiswaythemoneymightsoonbespent,andindeeditwasso.Atlasthehadnomorethanfourshillingsleft,andnoclothestowearbutapairofslippersandanolddressinggown.Nowhisfriendsdidnottroublethemselvesanymoreabouthim,astheycouldnotwalkwithhiminthestreet;butoneofthem,whowasgood-natured,senthimanoldtrunk,withtheremark,“Packup!

”Yes,thatwasallverywell,buthehadnothingtopack,thereforeheseatedhimselfinthetrunk.

Thatwasawonderfultrunk.Sosoonasanyonepressedthelock,thetrunkcouldfly.Thisitnowdid;whirr!

awayitflewwithhimthroughthechimneyandovertheclouds,fartherandfartheraway.Butasoftenasthebottomofthetrunkcrackedalittlehewasingreatfearlestitmightgotopieces,andthenhewouldhavethrownafinesomersault!

InthatwayhecametothelandoftheTurks.Hehidthetrunkinawoodundersomedryleaves,andthenwentintothetown.Hecoulddothatverywell,foramongtheTurksallthepeoplewentdressedlikehimselfindressing-gownandslippers.Thenhemetanursewithalittlechild.

“Here,youTurkishnurse,”hebegan,“whatkindofagreatcastleisthatclosebythetown,inwhichthewindowsaresohighup?

”

“TheredwellstheSultan'sdaughter,”repliedshe.“Itisprophesiedthatshewillbeveryunhappyrespectingalover;andthereforenobodymaygotoher,unlesstheSultanandSultanaaretheretoo.”

“Thankyou!

”saidthemerchant'sson;andhewentoutintotheforest,seatedhimselfinhistrunk,flewontheroof,andcreptthroughthewindowintothePrincess'sroom.

Shewaslyingasleeponthesofa,andshewassobeautifulthatthemerchant'ssonwascompelledtokissher.Thensheawoke,andwasverymuchstartled;buthesaidhewasaTurkishangelwhohadcomedowntoherthroughtheair,andthatpleasedher.

Theysatdownsidebyside,andhetoldherstoriesabouthereyes;hetoldhertheywerethemostgloriousdarklakes,andthatthoughtswereswimmingaboutinthemlikemermaids.Andhetoldheraboutherforehead;thatitwasasnowymountainwiththemostsplendidhallsandpictures.Andhetoldheraboutthestorkwhobringsthelovelylittlechildren.

Yes,thosewerefinehistories!

ThenheaskedthePrincessifshewouldmarryhim,andshesaid“Yes,directly.”

“ButyoumustcomehereonSaturday,”saidshe,“ThentheSultanandtheSultanawillbeheretotea.TheywillbeveryproudthatIamtomarryaTurkishangel.Buttakecarethatyouknowaveryprettystory,forbothmyparentsareveryfondindeedofstories.Mymotherlikesthemhigh-flownandmoral,butmyfatherlikesthemmerry,sothatonecanlaugh.”

“Yes,Ishallbringnomarriagegiftbutastory,”saidhe;andsotheyparted.ButthePrincessgavehimasabre,thesheathembroideredwithgoldpieces,andthatwasveryusefultohim.

Nowheflewaway,boughtanewdressing-gown,andsatintheforestandmadeupastory;itwastobereadybySaturday,andthatwasnotaneasything.

BythetimehehadfinisheditSaturdayhadcome.TheSultanandhiswifeandallthecourtwereatthePrincess'stotea.Hewasreceivedverygraciously.

“Willyoutellusastory?

”saidtheSultana;“onethatisdeepandedifying.”

“Yes,butonethatwecanlaughat,”saidtheSultan.

“Certainly,”hereplied;andbegan.Andnowlistenwell.

“TherewasonceabundleofMatches,andtheseMatcheswereparticularlyproudoftheirhighdescent.Theirgenealogicaltree,thatistosay,thegreatfirtreeofwhicheachofthemwasalittlesplinter,hadbeenagreatoldtreeoutintheforest.TheMatchesnowlaybetweenaTinder-BoxandanoldironPot;andtheyweretellingaboutthedaysoftheiryouth.

“Yes,whenwewereuponthegreenboughs,”theysaid,“thenwereallywereuponthegreenboughs!

Everymorningandeveningtherewasdiamondteaforus,Imeandew;wehadsunshinealldaylongwheneverthesunshone,andallthelittlebirdshadtotellstories.Wecouldseeverywellthatwewererich,fortheothertreeswereonlydressedoutinsummer,whileourfamilyhadthemeanstoweargreendressesinthewinteraswell.Butthenthewoodcuttercame,likeagreatrevolution,andourfamilywasbrokenup.Theheadofthefamilygotanappointmentasmainmastinafirst-rateship,whichcouldsailroundtheworldifnecessary;theotherbrancheswenttootherplaces,andnowwehavetheofficeofkindlingalightforthevulgarherd.That'showwegrandpeoplecametobeinthekitchen.”

“Myfatewasofadifferentkind,”saidtheironPotwhichstoodnexttotheMatches.“Fromthebeginning,eversinceIcameintotheworld,therehasbeenagreatdealofscouringandcookingdoneinme.Ilookafterthepracticalpart,andamthefirsthereinthehouse.Myonlypleasureistositinmyplaceafterdinner,verycleanandneat,andtocarryonasensibleconversationwithmycomrades.ButexcepttheWaterPot,whichsometimesistakendownintothecourtyard,wealwayslivewithinourfourwalls.OuronlynewsmongeristheMarketBasket;buthespeaksveryuneasilyaboutthegovernmentandthepeople.Yes,theotherdaytherewasanoldpotthatfelldownfromfright,andburst.He'sliberal,Icantellyou!

”“Nowyou'retalkingtoomuch,”theTinder-Boxinterrupted,andthesteelstruckagainsttheflint,sothatsparksflewout.“Shallwenothaveamerryevening?

”

“Yes,letustalkaboutwhoisthegrandest,”saidtheMatches.

“No,Idon'tliketotalkaboutmyself,”retortedthePot.“Letusgetupaneveningentertainment.Iwillbegin.Iwilltellastoryfromreallife,somethingthateveryonehasexperienced,sothatwecaneasilyimaginethesituation,andtakepleasureinit.OntheBaltic,bytheDanishbeech-trees----”

“That'saprettybeginning!

”criedallthePlates.

“Thatwillbeastoryweshalllike.”

“Yes,thereIspentmyyouthinaquietfamilywherethefurniturewaspolished,andthefloorsscoured,andnewcurtainswereputupeveryfortnight.”

“Whataninterestingwayyouhaveoftellingastory!

”saidtheCarpetBroom.“Onecantelldirectlythatthenarratorisawoman.There'ssomethingpurerunsthroughit.”

“Yes,onefeelsthat,”saidtheWaterPot,andoutofdelightitgavealittlehop,sothattherewasasplashonthefloor.

AndthePotwentontellingherstory,andtheendwasasgoodasthebeginning.

AllthePlatesrattledwithjoy,andtheCarpetBroombroughtsomegreenparsleyoutofthedusthole,andputitlikeawreathonthePot,forheknewthatitwouldvextheothers.“IfIcrownhertoday,”itthought,“shewillcrownmetomorrow.?

“NowI'lldance,”saidtheFireTongs,andshedanced.Preserveus!

howthatimplementcouldliftuponeleg!

TheoldChairCushionbursttoseeit.“ShallIbecrownedtoo?

”thoughttheTongs;andindeedawreathwasawarded.

“They'reonlycommonpeople,afterall!

”thoughttheMatches.

NowtheTeaUrnwastosing;butshesaidshehadtakencold,andcouldnotsingunlessshefeltboilingwithin.Butthatwasonlyaffectation;shedidnotwanttosing,exceptwhenshewasintheparlourwiththegrandpeople,

“InthewindowsatanoldQuillPen,withwhichthemaidgenerallywrote:

therewasnothingremarkableaboutthisPen,exceptthatithadbeendippedtoodeepintotheink,butshewasproudofthat.‘IftheTeaUrnwon'tsing,’shesaid,‘shemayleaveitalone.Outsidehangsanightingaleinacage,andhecansing,Hehasn'thadanyeducation,butthiseveningwe'llsaynothingaboutthat.’'‘Ithinkitverywrong,’saidtheTeaKettle----hewasthekitchensinger,andhalf-brothertotheTeaUrn----“thatthatrichandforeignbirdshouldbelistenedto!

Isthatpatriotic?

LettheMarketBasketdecide.”

“Iamvexed,”saidtheMarketBasket.“NoonecanimaginehowmuchIamsecretlyvexed.Isthataproperwayofspendingtheevening?

Woulditnotbemoresensibletoputthehouseinorder?

Leteachonegotohisownplace,andIwouldarrangethewholegame.Thatwouldbequiteanotherthing.”

“Yes,letusmakeadisturbance,”criedtheyall.Thenthedooropened,andthemaidcamein,andtheyallstoodstill;notonestirred.Buttherewasnotonepotamongthemwhodidnotknowwhathecoulddo,andhowgrandhewas.“Yes,ifIhadliked,”eachonethought,“itmighthavebeenaverymerryevening.”

“TheservantgirltooktheMatchesandlightedthefirewiththem.Mercy!

howtheysputteredandburstoutintoflame!

“Noweveryonecansee,”thoughtthey,“thatwearethefirst.Howweshine!

whatalight!

”----andtheyburnedout.”

“Thatwasacapitalstory,”saidtheSultana.“Ifeelmyselfquitecarriedawaytothekitchen,totheMatches.Yes,nowthoushaltmarryourdaughter.”

“Yes,certainly,”saidtheSultan,“thoushaltmarryourdaughteronMonday.”

Andtheycalledhimthou,becausehewastobelongtothefamily.

Theweddingwasdecidedon,andontheeveningbeforeitthewholecitywasilluminated.Biscuitsandcakeswerethrownamongthepeople,thestreetboysstoodontheirtoes,calledout“Hurrah!

”andwhistledontheirfingers.Itwasuncommonlysplendid.

“Yes,Ishallhavetogivesomethingasatreat,”thoughtthem