The Howard union. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-20
A LONG STORY.

stories told. 10 this amusement he gave
up all his time; but yet was never satisfied,
The exertons of all his courtiers were in
vain. He at last made proclamation, that
if any man would tell him story that
should last forever, he would make him his |
heir, AMI give him the princess, his daugh-
ter, in marriage; but If any one should pre-
tend he had such a story, but should fail
that is, if the story did come TO an end-he
was to have his head chopped off.
For such prize as beautiful princess
and kingdom, many candidates appeared;
and dreadIuly long stories some of them
told. Some lasted week, some month,
some six months. Poor fellowsl they all
spun them out as long as they possibly
could; but all in vain. Sooner or later they
all came to an end, and, one, after another,
the unlucky story -telers had their heads
chopped off.
AT last came man who said that he had
a story which would last forever, if his
Majesty would be pleased to give him a
trial.
He was warned of his danger; they told
him how many others had tried and lost
their heads; but he said he was not afraid,
and so he was brought before the king. He
was man of very composed and deibe-
rate way of speaking and after making all
requisite stipulations for time for his eating
drinking, and sleeping, he thus began his
story
''Oh, king there was once king who
was great tyrant. And, desiring to in
crease his riches, he seized upon all the
corn and grain in his kingdom, and put it
in an immense granary, which was built on
purpose, as high as a mountain.
"This he did for several years, till the
grnnary was quite full up TO the top. He
then stopped up doors and windows, and
closed it up fast on all sides.
"But the bricklayers had, by accident,
left very small hole near the top of the
granary. And there came flight of To-
cuts, and tried to get at the corn; but the
hole was SO small that only one locust could
pass through it at q time. So one locust
went in and carried off one grain of corn,
and then another locust went in and carried
oil another grain Of corn, and then another
locust went in and carried off another grair
of corn, and then another locust went II
and carried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and carried Of
another grain Of corn, and then another To-
Gust went in and carried off another erair
Of corn, and then another locust went il
and carried off another grain of corn, am
then smother locust went in and carried Of
another grain Of corn, and then another 10
- Gust went in and carried of another graf,
of corn, and then another locust went in an,
carried of another grain of corn, and thel
another locust went in and carried off anoth
ergraln of corn, and then another locust wen
in and carried off another grain of corn, an,
then another locust went in and carried Of
another grain of corn, and then another 10
Gust went in and carried off another grain O
corn"
lie had gone on thus from morning {,
night, (eXcept while he was engaged at hi
meals, for about month, when the king
though a very patient king, began to b
rather tired Of the lOcusts, and interrupte
his story with
"Well, well, we have heard enough o
the lOcusts; we will suppose they have help
ed themselves to all the corn they wanted
Tell us what happened afterward."
To which the story-teller answered yer,
deliberately
"lf it please your Majesty, il is impossi
BILE to tell you what happened afterward
before tell you what happened first"
And then he went on again
"And then another locust went in an,
carried off another grain of corn, and ther
another locust went in and carried of anoth
er grain of corn, and then another locus
wentin and carried off another grain of corn
and then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain Of corn"
The King listened with unconquerabl,
patience six months more, when he seall
interrupted him with
sob, friend am weary with your 10
Gusts How soon do you think you vii
have done ?"
To which the story.teller made answer