How Six Traveled Through the World

When the great war finally ended, many soldiers were discharged from service. Among them was a brave man who had fought valiantly but received nothing for his years of loyal service except six coins and a small loaf of bread. Disheartened but not defeated, he slung his musket over his shoulder and set off to see what the world might offer him.

As he walked along a forest path, he came upon a man who appeared to be staring intently into the distance.

“Good day, friend,” said the soldier. “What are you looking at with such concentration?”

“I am no ordinary observer,” replied the man without shifting his gaze. “I have been blessed—or perhaps cursed—with extraordinary vision. I can see to the very ends of the earth. At this moment, I am watching seven flies playing dice on the dome of a cathedral three kingdoms away.”

The soldier was impressed. “A remarkable talent indeed! Why not leave this spot and travel with me? Together, we might find better fortune than either of us would alone.”

The sharp-eyed man agreed, and the two continued together along the path. They had not gone far when they came upon a peculiar sight—a man lying by the roadside with his ear pressed to the ground.

“What are you doing there, friend?” asked the soldier.

The man looked up. “I am listening. My hearing is so acute that I can hear the grass growing, the flowers blooming, and even the thoughts of ants as they work. Right now, I am listening to a conversation between two kings who are discussing war strategies in palaces many miles apart.”

“Another extraordinary talent!” exclaimed the soldier. “Join us on our journey. Three companions with unique abilities must surely find good fortune somewhere in this wide world.”

The keen-eared man rose and joined them. As they traveled, they encountered a third man whose legs were bound with strong leather straps.

“Why have you tied your legs, friend?” inquired the soldier.

“For my own safety and that of others,” explained the man. “My legs are so powerful that if I were to remove these straps and run at my full capacity, I would outpace the wind itself. I could circle the earth in mere moments.”

“Remarkable!” said the soldier. “Remove one strap and walk with us at a reasonable pace. Your gift could prove valuable on our journey.”

The fleet-footed man adjusted his bindings and joined the group. Not long after, they met a fourth man who wore a peculiar hat positioned sideways on his head.

“Why do you wear your hat in such an unusual manner?” asked the soldier.

The man smiled mysteriously. “My hat is not for fashion but for function. When I turn it straight on my head, the heavens release a freeze so intense that birds fall from the sky like stones, and lakes transform into solid ice even in midsummer.”

“A chilling talent!” remarked the soldier. “You must join our company.”

The fifth man they encountered stood in the middle of a sun-drenched meadow yet showed no signs of discomfort despite the sweltering heat.

“Are you not affected by this scorching day?” asked the soldier.

“Heat is my ally, not my enemy,” replied the man. “My body generates such intense warmth that in the depths of winter, I walk comfortably through snowstorms in nothing but light clothing. When I truly exert my gift, I can cause an entire forest to burst into flame with the heat I radiate.”

“A fiery talent indeed! Our company would benefit from your warmth on cold nights.”

The sixth and final addition to their group was a slender man with an unusually long neck who appeared to be searching for something in all directions.

“What are you seeking with such diligence?” inquired the soldier.

The man turned to face them, revealing a peculiar ability—his neck could stretch to extraordinary heights, allowing him to see over the tallest trees and buildings.

“I am surveying the landscape,” he explained. “With my ability to extend my neck, I can spot opportunities and dangers from afar, complementing your sharp-eyed friend’s talent for seeing minute details at great distances.”

“Perfect!” declared the soldier. “Now our company is complete—six travelers, each with a unique and extraordinary gift.”

Together, the six companions journeyed across the land, sharing their meager provisions and regaling each other with tales of their lives before they met. The soldier, though he possessed no supernatural ability, provided leadership and strategic thinking from his military experience.

One evening, as they made camp by a crossroads, the sharp-eyed man gazed into the distance and announced, “I see a magnificent palace three days’ journey from here. Before it stands a princess of unparalleled beauty, but her expression is sorrowful.”

The keen-eared man pressed his ear to the ground. “I hear the king of that land proclaiming that any man who can outrun his daughter in a race shall have her hand in marriage and inherit his kingdom. But those who fail shall lose their heads. Many have already perished in the attempt.”

“This sounds like an opportunity for our fleet-footed friend,” suggested the soldier, turning to the man with bound legs.

The swift man nodded. “With one strap removed, I could match the princess’s pace. With both removed, victory would be certain.”

“Then let us journey to this kingdom,” decided the soldier. “Perhaps fortune awaits us there.”

Three days later, they arrived at the palace gates and presented themselves to the king. When the soldier declared their intention to accept the racing challenge, the monarch eyed the bound-legged man with skepticism.

“Many have tried and failed,” warned the king. “My daughter is the swiftest runner in all the kingdoms. Are you certain you wish to risk your life?”

“We are,” confirmed the soldier confidently.

The race was arranged for the following day. The princess, dressed in a light running tunic, approached the starting line with grace and determination. The fleet-footed man removed one strap from his legs but kept the other secure.

When the signal was given, both runners shot forward like arrows. The princess, who had never known defeat, was astonished to find her challenger matching her pace exactly, neither gaining nor losing ground. Mile after mile they ran, until they approached the turning point where they would head back toward the palace.

At that moment, the fleet-footed man appeared to tire. The princess, seeing her advantage, surged ahead. The soldier and his companions watched with growing concern from the sidelines.

“He is losing,” observed the sharp-eyed man.

“No,” countered the soldier with a knowing smile. “He is strategizing.”

Indeed, as the princess pulled ahead, the fleet-footed man produced a small flask of wine from his pocket. Taking a quick drink to restore his strength, he accidentally dropped three apples he had been carrying. Seeing this, the princess—who had a passion for beautiful fruit—could not resist pausing to collect these unusually perfect specimens.

This brief delay was all the fleet-footed man needed. Loosening his second strap just slightly, he surged forward with renewed speed, crossing the finish line moments before the princess arrived, flushed and astonished at her first defeat.

The king, bound by his promise but reluctant to surrender his daughter and kingdom, approached the companions with a new proposal.

“Before I can honor our agreement,” he said, “I must be certain of your worthiness. I have a chamber in my palace with walls of solid iron. If your company can spend a night inside while I heat the room until the iron glows red-hot, then truly you deserve my daughter’s hand.”

The soldier conferred with his companions. “This is a task for our heat-resistant friend,” he decided.

That night, the six travelers were locked inside the iron chamber. Servants stoked massive fires around the exterior walls until they began to glow with heat. The companions gathered around their heat-resistant friend, who stood in the center of the room and began to exert his gift, generating a coolness that countered the external heat.

“If the king wants heat,” he declared, “I shall show him what true heat is!” With that, he intensified his power until the iron walls, rather than glowing red from the outside fires, began to cool from his internal counterforce.

In the morning, when the king expected to find six roasted bodies, he instead discovered the companions playing cards comfortably in the chamber, having enjoyed a pleasant night’s sleep.

Frustrated but still determined to avoid fulfilling his promise, the king set a third challenge.

“In my treasury,” he announced, “there are three rooms filled with gold, silver, and precious gems. Guard these for one night. If even a single coin is missing by morning, you forfeit your lives. But if all remains secure, I shall honor our agreement without further delay.”

That night, the six companions took up their positions in the treasury. The king, desperate to preserve his wealth and daughter, had secretly instructed his steward to enter through a hidden passage and remove enough treasure to doom the companions.

As midnight approached, the sharp-eyed man spotted the faint outline of a concealed door beginning to open.

“Someone comes to steal the treasure,” he whispered.

The keen-eared man listened intently. “It is the king’s steward. I can hear his thoughts—he plans to take just enough gold to ensure our failure.”

The man with the peculiar hat turned it straight on his head, releasing a blast of cold so intense that the steward’s hands froze to the treasure chest he was attempting to open. The man remained trapped, unable to move or call for help, until morning.

When the king arrived to inspect the treasury, he was shocked to find his steward still frozen in place, the treasure untouched except for the frost that coated every surface.

Defeated and impressed by the companions’ remarkable abilities, the king finally acknowledged their victory. “You have overcome every challenge through your unity and extraordinary talents,” he conceded. “The kingdom and my daughter’s hand are yours, as promised.”

The soldier, who had led the companions with wisdom rather than supernatural power, was crowned as the new king. He married the princess, who had developed a genuine admiration for his strategic mind and kind heart. The five companions were appointed to the highest positions in the royal court, where their unique abilities served the kingdom well for many years.

And so, the six who had traveled through the world with nothing but their friendship and extraordinary gifts found a home where they were valued not just for their unusual talents, but for the loyalty and teamwork that had bound them together on their remarkable journey.