The Flying Little Box – A Magical Tale of Love, Courage, and Escape

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a talented carpenter who, due to unfortunate circumstances, found himself imprisoned. Desperate to save his life, he sent word to the king with an enticing proposition: “If you spare me, I will create something the world has never seen before.”

The king, intrigued by such a bold promise, agreed. Soon, the carpenter presented his masterpiece — a curious wooden trunk. The skeptical king sat down on it, and to his utter amazement, the trunk roared to life, lifting itself off the ground! It soared out one window of the castle and flew back through another, circling the king in a dance of magic and wonder. Enthralled, the king spared the carpenter and placed the enchanted trunk in his private collection of treasures.

Now, this king had a rather spoiled and mischievous son, a little prince who was known for wearing bright red boots and for his habit of breaking every toy given to him. One day, in hopes of keeping the boy entertained, someone gifted him the magical trunk. The prince, true to his destructive curiosity, took his hammer to it, eager to reshape it into a carriage. A servant, ever indulgent, tied a cord to the trunk, hoping to pull the prince around for fun.

But something extraordinary happened — the moment the prince climbed into the box, it stirred once again, lifted itself, and before anyone could react, flew straight out the window. The servant shouted and pulled at the cord, but the box soared higher and higher, until it vanished into the sky. Horsemen were dispatched in pursuit, but the magical trunk was far too swift for any earthly chase.

The little prince’s airborne adventure continued until the cord of the trunk snagged on the branches of a towering tree, halting his journey. Atop the tree was a stork’s nest, where the prince rested for a while. Gazing from his lofty perch, he spied a distant town nestled beyond the hills. Deciding to explore, he climbed down, leaving the enchanted trunk behind.

In the town, the red-booted prince met a kindly shoemaker in search of an apprentice. Eager for purpose, the prince took up the offer and worked diligently for years, growing into a clever and skilled young man.

Meanwhile, in that same town lived a childless king who had long awaited an heir. At last, a prophecy was delivered: he would indeed have a daughter, but she was destined to bring disgrace upon him the moment she laid eyes on a stranger. Fearful of this fate, the king built a towering fortress that reached the clouds and imprisoned his daughter in the highest chamber, ensuring she would never see another soul.

But whispers of the hidden princess drifted through the town. The former prince, now an adept shoemaker’s apprentice, heard tales of her beauty and her solitary confinement. One day, longing for adventure once more, he returned to the old tree, retrieved the magical trunk, and flew straight into the princess’s window.

The two quickly became enamored, their secret meetings filling the princess’s lonely days with joy and wonder. Yet, as always, word of forbidden love travels fast. The wary king, suspicious of his daughter’s newfound radiance, devised a trap. He smeared tar on the window ledge to catch whatever mysterious visitor had been coming and going.

Not long after, the apprentice visited again — but this time, one of his distinct red boots got stuck on the sticky ledge. The boot was paraded through the kingdom, foot by foot, until it found its rightful owner. The shoemaker’s apprentice, unaware of the scheme, tried it on, and it fit perfectly. Guards seized him on the spot, and he was thrown into the deepest dungeon.

The king confronted his daughter, demanding the name of her secret lover. “Tell me who he is, and you shall marry him. Listen! The carpenters are already building your marriage bed.” But in truth, the king had ordered a funeral pyre to burn both his daughter and her suitor alive.

The princess, steadfast in her love, refused to betray her beloved’s name. The couple was dragged to the pyre, where they stood amidst the crackling wood, embracing, serene and composed. As the flames began to rise, the apprentice pressed his foot against the hidden flying trunk beneath the pyre. Suddenly, the box roared to life, bursting through smoke and flame, carrying them high into the sky.

The stunned crowd and the furious king could only gape as the couple soared away, disappearing into the horizon like a shooting star.

The prince, wiser and more worldly from his years as an apprentice, returned home to his royal parents, bringing his beloved princess with him. They married with great celebration, and in time, he inherited not just his birthright, but also the kingdom of his wife’s family. And so, the red-booted prince ruled over two kingdoms, his heart full, his adventures immortalized in song and story.

Moral of the Story

True love, courage, and a bit of cleverness can help you escape even the direst fate. Sometimes, the things we leave behind — like an old magical trunk — can return to save us when we need them most.