The main character in the story is a young man who has squandered his once considerable fortune but who acquires a flying trunk. The trunk allows him to visit Turkey where he meets the king's daughter. The princess falls in love with the young man and the young man also wins the trust of her parents. It is agreed that the princess and the young man are to be married but the wedding never takes place. Due to the young man's carelessness, the flying trunk is destroyed and he is left separated from his bride forever.