Basic Grammar

Story Title : The Flying Trunk.

What a glorious day it was, with the glorious road, glorious market, glorious golden porch. Wait,
a golden porch ! Oh, that is the rich merchant’s house. Ah, what a loss it would be if I don’t tell
you this story. No, it is not about the merchant but he is a fairly important person here. You
see, the merchant has so much money that he could pave the whole streets with silver, but he
was a wise man and an intelligent businessman. He knew how to spend his money and how to
save it too. The merchant had a young son named Sven. Now Sven here was a lazy, lazy boy.
“ Breakfaaast !” Sven said, waking up from his bed. A maid gave Sven a pair of slippers to wear.
Sven thanked the maid then he greeted his father.

Sven : Good morning, father.

Father : Morning son. Hope you slept well.
Sven : Oh yes I did. The golden bedsheet is so much better than the normal ones. Though, I
think we need to take those rubies out. They poke me.
Father : Oh Sven, you don’t need golden bedsheet encrusted with rubies.

Sven : Who cares father ? We are rich ! In fact, I’m throwing a party for my friends today ! I
have just bought one them a huge boat ! They want me to celebrate it.
Father : You bought a boat for your friend !? And they are celebrating it by making you throw a
party ?! What kind of friends are these !?

Sven : They love me ! They think I’m the greatest !

Father : They love you for your money ! Stop trying to please everyone, Sven ! Don’t think of
what others think of you, do what you really love !
Sven : Eh... but I really love to do things that make others love me. Doesn’t that count ?

Father : Ahh ! I don’t know what to do about you ! Anyway son, I have something important to
tell you. There is an old trunk in the attic . That is no ordinary trunk, Sven. You are growing up
now, you will soon inherit all my wealth. This all will be yours. I want a promise from you today.
When I’m gone, no matter what happens, don’t ever give that trunk away. Do you understand ?

Sven : Eh...
Father : Promise me Sven !
Sven : Yes father, I promise.
Years went by, one sad day, the merchant passed away. Sven was now all grown up, he was sad
for his father. Soon, he was old enough to inherit his father’s wealth.

Sven : What ? I have inherited everything ?

Lawyer : Yes Sven, you have inherited all his wealth ! This means that all your father’s wealth
now belongs to you ! Use it wisely, Sven.

But, wisdom had long left Sven. He spent lavishly and unnecessarily. He threw parties everyday
! Each day his house would be renovated. It looked different everyday ! Fashion with the most
expensive antiques ! His friends were impressed, that made Sven very happy. All his friends
knew that Sven now was very rich and he could spend on whatever he wants. But, all friends
also knew something else. Sven had a hidden talent, he was a story teller. He told stories like no
one else could. His listeners were enchanted by his narration.

Sven : ...And then, the sky drank all the water from the seas and the oceans and made it rain !
Audience 1 : Wow bravo !

Audience 1 : Excellent ! You made it rain, Sven !

Audience 2 : You made it rain, Sven !
Audience 3 : You will earn a fortune as a story teller, my friend.
Sven : Eh..but don’t I already own a fortune ?

Audience 3 : Well of course you do, but this money will not always stay, right ? Won’t you have
to earn whatever you are spending ?
Sven : Oh, don’t spoil the party mood now ! Come on !
Audience : Yeah !! Come on ! Let’s party !

This went on for a few weeks. Yes, only for few weeks more because soon, the money was
gone. Sven started to sell his antique pieces to cover his expenses but he didn’t stop partying or
spending on his friends. Finally, there came a day.

Lawyer : You are broke !

Sven : Impossible ! I must still have some money left ! Patrick has asked for a new carriage !
I’m sure I can buy him that at least, can’t I ?
Lawyer : No, Sven ! The money is all gone ! All you have is this dressing gown, a pair of slippers
and this old trunk ! It won’t give you much even if you sell them.
Sven : (sigh) Ah ! All my money is gone ! I don’t even have a house to live or bed to sleep !
Ouch ! What is this..? A key ? This empty trunk has a key ? Great !

Then, Sven inserted the key into the trunk’s key hole. And not long, a pair of wings magically
appeared from the trunk and it slowly flew up while carrying shocked Sven in it.

Sven : What !? Am I dreaming ? Am I dead ?

But, it wasn’t a dream and neither was Sven dead. It was no ordinary trunk, it was an enchanted
trunk. It flew Sven over the seas and over the mountains. Finally, the trunk landed in the Land
of the Turks ! Sven got off the trunk and hid it under the tree. Then, he roamed around the
market, everyone there wore a dressing gown and slippers so nobody doubted Sven. After
wandering for some time, he came across a palace.

Sven : Oh wow ! What a big house that is !

Seller : House ? Haha ! Are you new to this world ? That is not a house, that is the palace ! The
Sultan and the Sultana live there with their daughter, the princess
Sven : The princess ?
Seller : Yes, of course ! But the Sultan and the Sultana are very protective of her. They don’t let
anybody meet her that easy !
Sven : Well, who needs their permission ?

And off he went to see the princess, the princess was asleep. She was so beautiful that Sven
just sat there and stared at her. He loved to watch her sleep, but not for long.

Princess : Ahh !! What !? Who are you !?

Sven : Oh ! Don’t scream ! I, I am Sven ! I am… a..a.. angel ! Yes that’s who I am ! I am a
Trunk Angel of Turks !
Princess : A Trunk Angel of Turks ? What is that ? A tongue twister ? There is no such thing !
Sven : Eh..but there is ! I am that.. Standing in front of you..?
Princess : Even if that’s true, what makes you think you can enter my room without permission
!? How dare you ! I don’t care who you are ! I’ll have you arrested ! Right now !
Sven : No please ! I beg of you ! I am sorry ! You’re right, I shouldn’t have done that ! Mercy
!
Princess : Stop pleading now ! Tell me, how did you get up here ?
Sven : Oh ! I flew on my trunk, uh…from the moon ! There are beautiful waterfalls up there
and lakes ! Just like your eyes, in which your thoughts go swimming by the mermaids ! And your
forehead…It’s like a snow covered mountain sides. I can’t take my eyes off you. Tell me
princess, do you know about the storks who bring lovely little children from over the seas ?
Princess : Haha, oh my ! You tell a great story ! It is amazing.
Sven : Princess, will you marry me ?

Princess : What !? What is wrong with you !? We just met !

Sven : I thought we were having a moment !
Princess : Ugh ! You were having a moment ! Leave now !
Sven : But why can’t I marry you ? You like my stories, right ?
Princess : Hmm…I did so, why don’t you come the day after and meet my parents ? They
absolutely love stories ! Father likes it merry and Mother likes a good moral. If you bring a story
like that, then I will marry you.
Sven : Ah ! That I like ! I shall see you soon, princess !

Sven flew back on his trunk and into the forest. Then he spent the whole day and night writing
up a perfect story. He had never felt this happy before. He did it without eat, drink or sleep.
Soon the day came for his meeting with the Sultan and the Sultana. He walked into the palace
with grace and excitement. Princess had already informed her parents about the Trunk Angel
and his excellence in stories. They couldn’t wait any longer.

Sven : I pay my respect to the Sultan and the Sultana.

Sultan : Hoho, okay. Let’s start with the story !

Sven : Ehem ! Once there were the matches..

The story
Vessel : You seem new here ! Where are you from ?
Matches 1 : We are the matches ! We came from the Great Pine Tree ! We were rich than
the riches itself ! We could afford to stay green all year long ! The birds came down and had to
sing to us. Then the woodcutter came and couldn’t resist the urge to bring us into the human
world !
Matches 2 : I don’t disagree ! Everyone needs to see how royal we were ! The main family
support has turned into a ship which can sail around the world if need be.
Matches 3 : We were brought here to bring light to the humans !
Tinder box : Then in fact, that is a sad story. The family was broken down. Why are you
trying so hard to impress us if you really like who you are ?

Matches : Oh please, Mr. Tinder Box ! You are only jealous of us ! We all know no one will
look for you now that we are here !
Matches 2 : You are old ! They don’t need you to light the fire now !
Vessel : Ooh ! I wish my life were that interesting ! The most irritating part is the way
they clean me ! It itches ! All I have to look forward to is the conversations I have with the others
here.
Matches : Oh, not everyone is as lucky as we are
Vessel : It would be so impressive and beautiful to watch you burn
Tinker Box : What ? Don’t say that ! It is a terrible thing to say !

Matches : Don’t listen to him ! It is not terrible at all ! We do look beautiful !

Tinker Box : That’s not what I meant !

Then suddenly, a maid entered the room. Everyone fell silent at once. She placed the vessel on a
stove, and looked for something to light the fire beneath it. The matches were hoping she chose
them. For they wanted to impress everyone and that’s what happened. She picked a bunch, lit
all of them at once and threw them to the woods. And my stars, how they sputtered and flared !

Matches : Now they will know !

Sven : And they burnt out, and the moral is-
Princess : Never burn yourself out to impress those around you. Be yourself !
Sven : That is correct !

Sultan : Hoho, what an amazing story !

Sultana : Splendid ! Absolutely brilliant ! My dear, you can marry our daughter !
Sultan : Yes yes, of course ! Arrangements be made ! Let’s celebrate !

And the celebration it was indeed, the whole city lit up like stars in the night.

Sven : Oh, I must do something more to impress them. Let me light up the sky

Without thinking twice, Sven filled up his trunks with firecrackers and flew up high to burst
them. It was beautiful but suddenly, the firecrackers exploded because Sven accidentally
dropped a lit-up match into the trunk. And then, he crashed down on the ground and broke
trunk.
Sven : Oh no ! What have I done !? I can’t meet the princess now ! They were right ! Never
burn yourself to impress those around you. Be yourself !
After realizing that he had no way to see the Princess again, Sven had finally learnt an
important lesson. He realized that he’s only truly happy when he’s making stories and narrating
to other people. Nothing else made him as happy as that. Not money, not the trunk, not the
princess. So he wandered off and did what he loved the most. He then became Sven, the story-
teller.