English Original
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.
中文翻译
从前，有一位富可敌国的商人。他的儿子继承了全部财产，却挥霍无度，沉溺于奢华的享乐，直到最后只剩下四先令、一双拖鞋和一件旧睡袍。朋友们都离他而去，只有一位好心人送给他一个旧箱子，上面写着“打包走人！”。他无物可打包，便自己钻了进去。
令他惊讶的是，这个箱子被施了魔法，一按锁就能飞起来。他乘着箱子飞上烟囱，穿越云层，最终来到了土耳其。他把箱子藏在树林里，然后进了城。城里的人都和他一样，穿着睡袍和拖鞋。
他从一个保姆那里得知，附近城堡里美丽的公主因为一个关于婚姻不幸的预言而被幽禁。利用会飞的箱子，他拜访了公主，自称是土耳其的神。公主被他的故事和身份所吸引，同意嫁给他，但条件是周六茶会时，他必须给她的父母——苏丹和苏丹后——讲一个精彩的故事。
商人的儿子编了一个故事，讲的是一盒火柴、一个铁锅和其他厨房用具争论谁更重要。这个故事以其深刻的寓意让苏丹后欣喜，又以它的幽默让苏丹开怀。他们同意了这门婚事，并定在周一举行婚礼。
婚礼前夜，全城张灯结彩，热闹非凡。年轻人想为庆典添彩，便在箱子里装满烟花，飞到空中上演了一场绚丽的表演。土耳其人看得目瞪口呆，深信他确实是神。
表演结束后，他回到树林取箱子，却发现箱子已被烟花的火星烧成了灰烬。失去了这神奇的飞行工具，他再也无法去见他的新娘。公主在屋顶上空等，而他则浪迹天涯，讲述着故事——尽管再也没有一个故事能像火柴的故事那样欢快了。