The Magic Box

I sat looking at the intricate swirls that decorated the sides. My finger traced the delicate lines of an exotic flower. I picked it up and held it to the light to look at the figures that danced around the edges of the lid. The dark smoky wood had striations of light and dark lines. Much like the stripes of a tiger or zebra. I examined the lock and thought again about what the stranger had said.

“In order to realize your dreams, you must breathe life into them.”

I sat the box back down on the table and rested my head on my hands and stared at it. How is this box supposed to help me realize my dreams? He was a strange little man and I’m not even sure where he came from. I was out walking along the lane this morning, enjoying the dappled light as the sun was coming up. The fields were still shrouded in mist, and the sheep were just beginning to bleat their morning greetings.

I had stopped to admire the purple morning glories cascading over a stone wall like a floral waterfall when I felt a tug on my elbow sleeve. I turned around and found a short, square gentleman standing next to me. He was wearing a green velvet robe that had golden vines embroidered over it. His dark black hair hung down his back and had flowers and twigs woven throughout his dark locks. A floppy yellow hat sat tilted upon his head, looking as if it were about to slide off at any minute. As I looked at him, he turned his head up to look at me and there I found the face of an angel. All weathered and craggy, with soft glowing violet eyes perched above a large flat nose. His eyes shown with such a brilliance that I was almost blinded in the dim shadows of the morning. His mouth parted into a broad smile, and I immediately felt calm and at ease.

Smiling at me, he chimed in a singsong voice, “Greetings, child. Are you enjoying this beautiful morning?”

Smiling at him, I expressed how delightful my time was and how mesmerized I was by the delicate morning glory flowers with their purple petals and light blue veins.

“Ah, you see the wonder and beauty of the world in which you dwell. That is a rare gift.”

I spread out my arms and twirled around, smelling the damp earth from the night’s mists. I inhaled deeply and sighed with my face turned to the soft light now peaking over the hillside to the east.

“Everything is magical and beautiful at this time of day,” I sighed.

He stood watching me, his hands tucked into the opposite sleeve across his front.

“I rarely find folks of your kind who appreciate the natural world. They are so caught up in all the hustle and bustle and forget to stop and admire the beauty that surrounds them.”

“Oh, I savor these mornings for their quietude and beauty. This time helps me get through my day. I am energized and humbled by my morning rambles. It helps me stay grounded so I can face any challenges that come my way.”

I turned back to him and saw that he now smiled at me with a knowing look and nodding his head as if he’d decided about something. Then he pulled his hands out of his sleeves and produced a small wooden box. Holding it cupped in his hands, he held it out to me.

“For one who appreciates the beauty and sees the world with wonder in her eyes, I have a gift for you.”

My hand stretched out for it out before I realized, reaching for the intricately carved box he held out to me. I stopped and looked at him.

“What have I done to deserve such a beautiful gift?” I asked.

“You see the natural world. I’ve heard your singing upon occasion and listened while you whispered your wishes into the sunrises. So, I give you this gift for you to explore your dreams. To realize your dreams, you must breathe life into them.”

He sat the box in my outstretched hand, curling my fingers around its edges. I held it up and looked more closely at it and when I turned to thank him; he was gone.

So here I sit, looking at this amazing box, not understanding how to open it. I sighed deeply and let my breath drift out of my mouth and nostrils. As my air spread across the box sitting in front of me, the fine lines of the vines and flowers glowed. Then the figures began to writhe and dance. One of the beautiful goddesses reached over the edge of the lid and pressed several spots next to the lock and I heard a soft ‘snick’. The lid lifted slightly, and I could see a soft golden light emanating from under the lid.

With my eyes wide, I reached out with both my hands and gently tilted the lid back on its hinges. The warm golden light grew until it fully engulfed the entire room, me included. A warm feeling of love enveloped me. I heard music playing in the distance and when I turned to look for it; I caught sight of a cliff wall with a shimmering waterfall flowing down its face. There were birds flying through the purple sky and a deer bent its head to drink from the pool of water at the base of the falls. I found myself transported to a world so full of beauty and wonder that I started giggling and hugged my arms around my body.



This is the world I dream of when I walk along the lanes in the quiet mornings.