The Chest That Stayed Shut — All evening, Durn carried one little candle up the cave road and told himself, “This flame will last till moonset.” The wind smelled like pine needles and snow, and it kept puffing, whuff, whuff, at his beard. Read the full story →
All evening, Durn carried one little candle up the cave road and told himself, “This flame will last till moonset.” The wind smelled like pine needles and snow, and it kept puffing, whuff, whuff, at his beard. Beside the cave sat the king’s old chest, heavy with spare blankets for winter watchmen. Durn had set himself a challenge: guard it without opening it, not even once.
Then a tiny cough came from the rocks. A fox kit shivered under a ledge, too scared to step into Durn’s lantern light. Durn looked at the lock, then at his candle, then slid his own red cloak through the crack beneath the chest lid, where no one would see it go. The kit curled into the soft wool. By morning, the candle still glowed, and the chest stayed shut. Ever since, mountain chests are locked tight on the outside, so quiet gifts can happen inside. Can you spot the lock that kept Durn’s secret?
