The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-02-14
4 be Los gesi .lely lrer Told;


The following will amuse almost any
one who will take the trouble aud
spare the time to read it through
There waA once certain king, who
like many Eastern kings, was yery
fond Of hearing stories told 70 this
amusement he gave upaIl his time,
but yet be was never satisfied The
exertions Of bis conrtiers were all 10
vain lie at last made proclama
I ton that il any man should tell him a
story thai should last forever be would
positively make MIN his heir and give
/ him the princess lis daIghler, in. mar
iriage bu. il any one sIoalfl pretend he
had such Story and should fail--that
is. if the story come TO an eHd he was
70 hag his head cut off
For such prize as q beautiful prin-
cess and a kingdom. many candidates
appeared. and dreadful tong atories
some Of them told. Some lasted a
week. some month. and some six
months. Poor fellows, they all spun
them out as long as they possibly conld,
but all in vain. Sooner or later they
all came 10 an end. and one after an
other the uDlucky story teIlers had
their heads chopped off AT last came
man who said be had story that
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 tFiod
and lost their heads, bar he said he was
not afraid. and so he was, broGght be-
fore the king He was a man OF u very
composed and deliberate way OF speak
ing, and after, making all necessary
stipulations Br his eating, drinking
and sleeping, be thus began:
/ oh, king! there was once a king
who was d great tyrant; and desiring
to increase his riches. he seized upon
the corn in his kingdom, and put it in
an immense granary, which was built
on purpose, as high as mountain.
THIS he did for several years, until the
granary was quite fulI TO the top. He
then stopped doors and windows on all
sides But the bricklayers mad by ac-
cident. left very small hole near the
top Of the granary, and there came a
flight OF Iocusts, and tried TO get at the
corn, but the hole was SO small that
only one locust could pass through at
time. So one locust 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 of. 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"
He had gone on thus from morning
Till night (except when he was engaS.
ed at his meals) for about a month,
when the King began to be rather tir-
ed with his locusts, and Interrupted
him 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 after
ward
To which the story teller answerod
deliberately "If it please your tnaies.
ty. it is impossible TO tell what happen
ed aiterward before l tell what happen.
ed first f"
And then he went on again: "An1
then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain OF corn, -and
then another locust went in aud carri
ed off another grain OF corn, and then.
another locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn, and then anoth-
er locust went in aud carried off anoth-
er grain oi corn
The King listened with unconqucr-
able patience for six months more,
hen ne again interrupted him with /:
20 friend. | am Weary of your 10
Gusts How snOn do you think they
will have done?'
! To which the story teller made an
swer: "Oh King, who can tell ? At
the time 10 which my story has come
the locnsts have cleared "A smad place;
it may he-a cubit each way round the
hole, and the air is still dark wi h To-
Gusts on all sides But let the King
have patience, and no doabt we shall
come to the end OF them in time
Tins encouraged, tbe King listened
on for another fuil year, the story teller
goirg on as before:
And then another locust went in
and carried off another grain OF corn,
and then another locust went in and
carried of another grain OF corn, and
then another locust went in and car
RED oifannther grain of corn, and then
another locust went in and carried off
another grain OF corn. and then anoth
1 er locust went in and carried oil anoih-
er grain of corn
AT last the poor King could stand it
no longer, and cried out:
"Oh, man, that is enough to take my
daughter! take my kngdoml take any
thing, everything, only lot me hear no
more of the abomnablc IocnSIs
And so the story teller was married
to the Kings drughter, and was de
cared heir to the throne, and nobody
ever expressed wish To hear the rest
OF the story, for he said it was impossi
BILE TO come to the other part, OF it till
he had done with the locusts.
: THE CAPITAL CRY AHEAD-TRiP-
LETS "A gentleman who drives one OF