Hey Blog! Second post in a day, and this one is a continuation of my serialised version of…
The story of the box
The silk merchant’s storage box
The Caliph now had lots more jewels, and the wedding present he himself had given was seven handsome rolls of silk. He had told the silk merchant that he would make the value up to him when he got back and when he did, gave him three bags of gems and the box that they had been given in. The silk merchant thanked him, and went off on his camel train through Asia, and at last reached China, going back the way he had formerly come some time later. He repeated this journey many times, and, upon one time, feeling quite older than he was when the box had first been given to him, he failed to journey, but sent his son, who was his heir for the camels, goods and in fact, all parts of the trade, off to China. When he was there, he heard that his father had formally retired, and that his father’s trading wealth had passed to him. He hurriedly sold his goods, thinking his father ill, and by the time he was packing his camels, the box was forgotten. It lay in the house that he had rented for his stay, and the landlord didn’t notice. Six years went by, before a guest said, “That looks like a nice box, and I could have sworn that I’ve seen it before. I’d like it for my trinket selling…”
“Your name?” said the landlord. “I seem to recall it was left here by a previous visitor.”
“You wouldn’t know me. I’m the son of that merchant that stayed here every summer. I’ve only been in this land once before and now I’m looking for a house here.”
“Well, I guess you can take the box. It cost me nothing, so it should cost you nothing!”
So the box, once lost in China, was recovered for a new purpose, and its adventures continued. It collected a few tea-stains, some scratches, and lost its key, which was left in the purse of a guest and forgotten about.