Need A Quick Puzzle - Opening a Box

[Palanan]

First session of my new game tonight, and I need some help coming up with a puzzle.

The party will be first level, just getting together, and one of their first challenges is opening a small box. I want this to be a puzzle, something to engage the players and get them thinking creatively. There are vital clues and story points inside. What can I do?

[MisterKaws]

Baby mimic? Maybe they have to convince the mimic to give them the stuff it's carrying, and they can't kill it because it would damage the clues?

[Ferronach]

Have the box be an odd shape with symbols engraved on each side (including the top and bottom) and have one of the rooms that the party had to pass through, be the same shape. Don't go out of you way to make the connection, that is for them to figure out.

The walls of the room each have a secret button/switch that when pressed causes a panel to open/painting to move, revealing a softly glowing symbol. The button has to be pressed and held for the symbol to be exposed, releasing the button returns the wall to the way that it was. Have on the floor and one on the roof too.

The button on the floor can be used as a hint if they are struggling, just have someone "accidently step" on it and activate it.

You can have more walls with floor and ceiling than there are party members to make thing interesting and force them to get creative. The buttons don't need much force so an improvised tool will work (extending pole to press the one in the roof) shield to press the one on the floor, rest a heavier weapon against the wall so it exerts pressure on the button etc.

Once all of the symbols are exposed, the box needs to be held in the centre of the room with the engraved symbols matching each of those on the walls.

The symbols on the box will begin to glow and presto! it opens up.

[Nepenthe]

Wizard: I cast knock!
OR
Rogue: I use Disable Device!

How do you respond?

But as to the actual puzzle...
The box is intricately carved with scenes of a fierce battle. On one side are three rotating cylinders (like a combination lock) with pictograms of simple objects (book, candle, sword, cup, etc.). Some Knowledge History or Gather Information checks reveal that the carvings refer to a specific battle where a legendary hero used three boons in sucession to defeat his enemies. You can just tell them the correct order, or make a riddle out of it. ( Riddles aren't my thing.)