The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-12-06
The Longest Story Ever Told.

The Longest story Ever Iclo.
Old folks need not read this, as we
copy it expressly for the delectation Of
our young friends. 1t will hardly strike
the eye, but read it aloud to company
of boys and girls if you wish to find the
point Of it:
There was once certain king who,
like many Eastern kings, was very fond
of hearing stories told. To this amusc-
ment he gave up all his time, but yet he
was never satisfied. The exertions of
his courticrs were all in vain. Ho at last
made proclamation, that if any man
would tell him a story that should last
forever he would make him his heir and
rive him the princess, his daughter, in
marriage, n but if any one should pretend
he has such q story, but should fail-that
is. if the story did come to an end-he
was to have his head cut off.
For such price as beautiful princess
and kingdom, many candidates appear
ed, and dreadful long stories some OF them
told. Some lasted week, some month,
some six months. Poor fellows, they all
spun them out as long as they possibly
could; but all in vain. Sooner or later
they all came to IN end one after another,
the unlucky story tellers had their heads
chopped off. At last came q man who
said that he had story that would last
forever, if his majesty would be pleased
to give hima 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 a man
Of very composed and deliberate way OF
speaking, and after making all necessary
stipulations for time for his eating, drink
ing and sleeping, he thus began:
ooh, kingl there was once q king who
was great tyrant, and desiring to in
crease his riches, he seized upon the corn
in his kingdom and put it in an immense
granary, which was built on purpose, rs
high as mountain This he did for sew
eral years, until his granary was quite
full to the top. He then stopped doors
and windows, and closed it up fast on all
sides. But the bricklayers had, by acci-
dent, left a very small hole near the top
of the granary, and there came fight of
locusts, and tried to get at the corn, but
the hole was SO small that only one locust
could pass through at time. So one 10
Gust went in and carried off one grain of
corn, and then another locust went in and
carried off another grain Of corn, and then
another locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn, and then another
locust went in and carried off another
grain of corn, and then another locust
went in and carried off another grain of
corn, and then another locust went in and
carried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and carried
off another grain Of corn, and then an
other locust went in and carried off an
other grain of corn, and thcn another
locust went in and carried off another
grain of corn, and then another locust
went in and carried off another grain of
corn"
He had gone on thus from morning till
night Except when he was engaged at
his meals) for about month, when the
king began to be rather tired Of the To-
Gusts, and interrupted his story with:
"Well, well, we have heard enough of
the locusts, we will suppose they helped
themselves to all the corn they wanted.
Tell us what happened afterwards"
To which the story-teller answered de-
liberately: off it please your majesty, it is
impossible to tell what happened after
wards before I tell what has happened
frst.n And then he went on again.
"And then another locust went in and
carried off another grain of corn, and then
another locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn, and then another
locust went in and carried off another
grain of corn, and then another locust
went in and carried off another grain of
corn, and then another locust went in and
carried off another grain Of corn"
The king listened with unconquerable
patience six months more, when he again
interrupted him with:
ssOh, friend! am weary of your
locusts. How soon do you think they
will have donep
To which the story-teller made answer
"Oh, king, who can tell? At the time
to which my story has come, the locusts
have cleared small space; it may be q
cubit each way round the inside of the
hole, and the air is still dark with locusts
on all SIDES But let the king have pa
tience, and no doubt we shall come to the
end of them in time"
Thus encouraged, the king listened on
for another full year, the story teller
going on still as before:
"And then another locust went in and
carried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and carried
off another grain of corn, and then an
other locust went in and carried off !
another grain of corn, and then another
locust went in and carried of. another