Once upon a time, there was, and there wasn't. Once upon a time, there was a poor young man who lived alone with his mother. Every day he went into the forest, collected wood and then carried it on his back into town to sell it. One day, he was so tired that he leaned against a tree and shouted loudly: "Uff! Whew!" At that moment, the tree opened, a spirit came out and said: "My name is Uff, you called me, what do you want?" The young man replied: "I don't want anything from you. I was just so tired and leaned against this tree. That's when I said 'uff' out loud." The ghost looked at the boy and gave him a small box. "Take this box and if you need me, come back here and call me. But under no circumstances should you say, 'Open up, my box'!" With these words, the ghost disappeared.

The young man carried the box home and told his mother what he had experienced. "Imagine, the spirit gave me this box and instructed me not to say 'Open my box' under any circumstances." As soon as he had said this, the box opened. Out came carpets spread out on the floor and all kinds of good food and drink. Poor and hungry as they were, mother and son were delighted with the delicious things. When they had had enough, the young man said, "Close up, my box," and the box folded shut and placed itself on a wall board.

"Mother, I would like to invite the Padishah to eat this good food." But the mother had her doubts. "Where should the Padishah sit? There's hardly enough room for us here." However, the young man was not dissuaded from his plan. He went into the palace and invited the padishah and his vizier to dinner. When they saw their host's poor hut, they were surprised. But they sat down on two wooden blocks and looked around. No fire was burning in the hearth. No food was ready. The young man took the box from its place and said: "Open up, my box." And just like the first time, carpets came out of the box and countless dishes and drinks were placed on them. Even the padishah had never seen such a selection. When everyone was full, the young man said: "Close my box." The box closed and placed itself back on the wall board. But the padishah secretly signaled the vizier to take the box away unnoticed. As the guests took their leave, the vizier let the box disappear into the wide sleeves of his caftan.

As soon as the guests had left, the mother noticed that the box was missing. The young man wept and finally made his way to the tree as the spirit had told him. "Uff!" he shouted when he got there. The tree opened, the ghost appeared and asked: "What is it? Did you have the box stolen?" The young man told him what he had experienced. Then the spirit gave him a cudgel. "Be careful not to say: 'Cudgel out of the bag'!" Then he disappeared.

Relieved, the young man made his way home. Once again, he told his mother what had happened and what instructions the ghost had given him this time: "I mustn't say: 'Cudgel out of the bag'!" No sooner had he said this than the club jumped out of the sack and started beating him. "Stop, my cudgel," he shouted, startled, and the beating stopped and the club disappeared into the sack. The young man took the sack and the cudgel and went to the palace. When he was finally admitted to the padishah and the vizier, he whispered: "Stick out of the sack!" The cudgel jumped out and beat the padishah and the vizier until they both shouted, "Help, call back your cudgel!"

"Only if I get my box back," said the young man.  So the vizier fetched the box, the boy ordered, "Stop, my cudgel!" and set off with the two magic things back to the tree where the ghost lived.

"Uff! I've got my box back." The ghost looked at him, gave him a donkey and said, "Beware of saying, 'Cry, my donkey!" Then he disappeared and the tree closed again. At home, the young man told his mother: "He warned me. I mustn't say, 'Cry, my donkey!" As soon as the donkey heard this, he opened his mouth and began to spit coins on the ground. The young man and his mother took the box, the cudgel and the donkey and went to a faraway land. There they built themselves a palace and lived happily ever after.

Fassung Anina Meile, P. N. Boratav, Türkische Volksmärchen, Berlin1968, englische Fassung Lysander Jaenike © Mutabor Märchenstiftung