Once upon a time, there was a merchant so rich he could have paved the streets with silver. His son inherited the fortune but squandered it on extravagant pleasures until he was left with only four shillings, a pair of slippers, and an old dressing-gown. Abandoned by his friends, he received an old trunk with the message, "Pack up!" Having nothing to pack, he climbed inside.
To his surprise, the trunk was enchanted and could fly when the lock was pressed. He soared up the chimney and across the clouds until he reached the land of the Turks. There, he hid the trunk in a wood and entered the town, where everyone wore dressing-gowns and slippers like him.
He learned from a nurse that the beautiful princess in the nearby castle was secluded due to a prophecy of an unlucky marriage. Using his flying trunk, he visited her, claiming to be a Turkish god. Enchanted by his stories and his claim, she agreed to marry him, on the condition that he tell a captivating story to her parents, the Sultan and Sultana, at tea on Saturday.
The merchant's son crafted a story about a box of matches, an iron pot, and other kitchen items debating their importance. The story delighted the Sultana with its moral depth and amused the Sultan with its humor. They approved the marriage, set for Monday.
On the eve of the wedding, the town celebrated with illuminations. Wanting to contribute to the festivities, the young man filled his trunk with fireworks and created a dazzling display in the sky. The Turks were awestruck, convinced he was truly a god.
After the show, he returned to the wood to retrieve his trunk, only to find it had been reduced to ashes by a stray firework spark. Without his magical means of flight, he could not reach his bride. The princess waited on the roof in vain, while he wandered the world, telling stories—though none as merry as the one about the matches.