The old gentleman warned the young man never to open the secret door.

Finally he could restrain himself no longer. It was all too easy. He put the key in the keyhole and turned it. The door opened by itself to reveal nothing but darkness beyond. But then a wind arose, and a strong force started to pull him inside. He was pulled and pulled. One step forward and he was inside the darkness. The air swirled and blew about him, growing into a whirlwind that turned, then spun him round and around. Quicker and quicker he spun, till he was lifted up and blown out of the house, far, far away. He did not know where to, or how.

Happyland. As suddenly as it began, it was over. Firm ground was under his feet. The darkness lifted, and sunlight shone about.

He was standing on the bank of a river that quietly flowed through meadows of multicolored flowers and groves of trees heavy with red, yellow, and golden fruits. In the distance he could hear clear voices singing. Soon, on the river, a boat approached. In it were three beautiful girls with flowing hair, singing songs of love and passion. The boat stopped in front of him, and the tallest girl addressed him with deep reverence: “Greetings, our king, allow us to take you to your bride.”

At that moment the once-poor man discovered that he was dressed in royal robes and his head was decked with a crown. He boarded the boat and seated himself on a golden throne that had been prepared for him. The ship sailed along the river until it arrived at a city of great splendor. There, at the steps of a palace, waited a young queen of exceeding beauty. She greeted him, saying: “Hail, my lord and king, whose advent has been presaged in the book of the ages, my sweet bridegroom who was to arrive through the door of mystery.

Welcome to you, my husband, for tonight and forever!” The young man was invited to sit next to her on a double throne. Then three gray-haired ladies, the cadis of the city, appeared and performed the marriage ceremony according to the laws, customs, and protocol of Happyland, as the country was called. So the new king lived in great happiness with his young queen. She provided for all his wishes. In that country all the work was done by women; men only tilled the land, sowed, and harvested. The king had only to supervise the farming, as the queen dealt with all the tedium of government.