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