Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-01-02
The Longest Story Ever Told.

Old folks need not read this, as we copy Il
expressly for the delectation of our young
friends. twill hardly strike the eye,s but
read it aloud 10 company of boys and girls
if YOU wish to find the point of it: III Y;
There was once certain king who,; like
many Eastern kings, was very fond OF hearing
stories told. To this amusement he gave up
all his me,ebut. yet be was never satisfied;
The exertions of his courtiers were all IN
vain. lie at last made proclamation, that
if any man would tell him story that should
last forever he would make him his heir and
give him the princess, his daughter, in mar
riape. bat If any one should pretend he has
such story, but should iail-that is, ii the
story did come to an cnd-hewas to have his
head cut off.
For such price as beautiful princess and
= kingdom, many candidates appeared, 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. Sooncror later they all came to an
end one after another; the unlucky story tell
ers had their heads chopped Oft AT last came
man who said that he 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 tried and lost their heads, but he said he
was not afraid, and so lie was brought before
Ethe king. He was a man Of very composed
and deliberate way of soeaking, and after
making all necessary ST .,llailons Tor time for
his eating, drinking and slcepiug,, he thus
began: ~
ooh, king! there vas once king who was
q great iyr@nl, and desiring TO increase hls
riches, he seized upon the corn in his king
do.n-aud put it IN nniamerss. granary: gh.1gg
was built on purpose, as high as mountain.
'rhi: he did iUr .evcral years, Until his gran
AIRY was quite fall to the top. lie then stop
ned Doors ..ud windows, ard closed it up fast
On I'll sides. Bu. the byck,ayers had, by &C
c;ien. left very small hole near Tic top OF
the crarn,y, aDd there came il Hight ot It,
cusls. a..a tee,l 10 get at the corn, but the
hole was So sl.a!i Tia. only one locust could
IA through .J q time. 81 inc locust wen
IN ..;;l: carried ul' ouc grain OF corn, ai. tnen
auo,&cr locust wrlt il: AID carried oil an"thel
or.:u Of corn, and ;hen ano;!.rI locus; Went
~ and carried II! another grain vi corn. a"c
then another iocast wcnt III AID carried oil!
another grain o! cCrn, AID ihcn anoiler locaNi
went in anI carried oil another grain OF corn,
and ihen another locGst Went III anI Carried
eff auo.lc. grain oi corn. q 1T then another
| i,co., went in and carried oil another grain
ii cora. and lllei: a.otlier oeGst wcn; u! aud
carried I'll another gram oi corn, aud then
,.o,bcr locus, wen! in ar'i carried olt 4noth
or urajn ot corn. and ihcn another locus
went in AID ,al led oft amo.hcr gyaii rt
cor!i.' -,
He had sone on thus lrom inorning lill
night (cxeept when lie was engaged st his
meals for abou. month, when the king BE-
gan 10 bc rather tired Of tic l3cusls, ant in
teryapied lis s!ory with;
"lEcli, well, we have heard enough OF the
locus.s, we will suppose they helped them
selves TO ali the corn they wanted. Tell us
what happened afterwards"
To which the story-te!lcr answered Geiioer'
atcly: "lrit please yonr majesty, it IS I'M
possible 10 tell Whit happened afterwards Ne,
fore tell what had happened first" And
then he went cn again.
g Aid then aao.!;cr locust went III an'l car.
ricd clf aliothet grain OF corn, ana then ai'-
other locus, went in and carried oil another
rrai,. Of corr, ard then another locust went
in and carried Uli' anothcr graiu ui Germ, and
then another locust went IN ard carried D:i
another grain OF corn, and t!:en aHc;ier 10.
Gust went in and carried OF another grain OF
corn"
The king listened with unconquerable pa
tiencc six months more, when he again Inter
rupted him with:
"Oh, friend am weary of your loousts;
How soon do you think hey will have done =
To which the story teller made answer
"Oh, king, who can tcll 4? At the time 10
which my story has come, the ocusis have
cleared small space 1T mag be cubit each
way round the inside Of the hole, and the air
Is Sill dark with locusts on all sides. But
let tic king lave PATIENCE and 10 doubt we
shall conc 10 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 tLcn another locust went in and car
ried OF another grain OF corn, and then ar
other lccnst wens in aud carried Of! anot er
grain OF corn, and then another locust went
in and carried OFF another grain OF corn
and then another locust went III and
carried oil another grain of cora, and then
another locust went in and carried cit anoih-
er grain o! corn"
At last the poor king could stand it no lon
ger, and cried OUT
. Oh, man, that is enough, take my daugh-
ter take my kingdom! take anyhing-ev-
erythng, only let us hear no more Of the
aLonnablc lucusts."
And so the story teller was married to the
kings daughter, and was declared llpr TO the
throne, and nobody ever expressed a wish tc
hear the rest OF the story, for he said it was
impossible to como TO the other part Of it uil'