The Flying Trunk

There once was a successful merchant who was so rich he could pave the entire street where he lived with silver. And even after doing that, he’d still have so much left that he probably wouldn’t notice.

But of course, he would never do such a thing! He knew how to invest his money and wealth much better, plus he worked 20-hour days. For every coin he gave away, two would return. That is how good a merchant he was. Up until one day when he passed away in his sleep. He was finally laid to rest for some very well-deserved peace.

All of his money went to his son, Ayaz, who began gleefully squandering it away. He went out every night. He ate at the finest restaurants, eating exotic meals with the most expensive wines they had. He then enjoyed himself by going to masquerades - he always wore the Fool’s costume, because it made him laugh to look silly. He threw money away on his friends, buying them pricey - but useless - trinkets.

He even used some of his silver coins instead of stones to skip them across a nearby lake, just for fun! Soon, however, his father’s life-long treasure dried up. Ayaz was left with nothing but four small pennies, a pair of old green socks with holes and an antique silk dressing gown.

Now that he was broke and (nearly) penniless, his friends didn’t want to have anything to do with him. They even refused to say hello to him in the streets, because he looked like a beggar. He was an embarrassment. Yet one of the friends had a soft spot for Ayaz and felt sorry for him. He sent him an old, battered trunk with a note, telling him…