The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-04-12
The Longest Story on Record.


The following will amuse almost any one
who will take trouble and spare the time to
read 1t through:
There was once certain king who. like
many Eastern kings, was very fond of hear
ing stories told To this amusement he
gave up all his time, but yet he was never
satisfied The exertions of his court;ers
were all in vain He at last made a proc
lamation that if any man should tell him one
that should last forever, he would certainly
make him his heir and give him the prin-
cess, his daughter, in marriage but if any
one should pretend he had such story,
AMI iail-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 appeared,
and dreadful long stories some of them told.
some six months Poor fellows, they all
spun them out as long as they could, but
all in VAIN Sooner or later they all came
to an end, one after the other, and the I'M
lucky story teIlers had their heads chopped
off. At last came man VINO said he had
a story that would last forever, if his maj
esty would be pleased to give him 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 de-
liberate way of speaking, and after making
all necessary stipulations for his eating,
drinking and sleeping, he thus began
'Oh, king! there was once king who
was great tyrant and desiring to increase
his riches, he seized upon the corn in his
kingdom, and but it in an immense granery
which was built on purpose, as high as
mountain. This he did for several years,
until the granary was quite full to the top.
He then stopped the doors and windows on
all sides But the brick layers had, by ac-
cident, left very small hole near the top
Of the granary, and there came flight of
locusts and tried to get at the corn, but the
hole was so small that only one locust could
passthrough 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 To-
Gust 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 with his locusts,
and interrupted his story with:
well. well, we have heard enough of
the locusts we will suppose they helped
themselves to all the corn that they wanted.
Tell US what happened afterwards" "
= which the story teller answered delib-
eraiely.
eff it pleases your majesty, it is impos-
sible to tell what happened afterwards be-
fore | tell you what happened first.
And then 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 an
other grain of corn, and then another To-
Gust went in and carried Off another grain
corn.
The king listened with unconquerable pa
thence for six months more, when he again
interrupted him with
''Oh, friend [ am weary with your To-
Gusts. How soon do you think they will
have done p
"Oh, king, who can tell? At the time
to which my story has come the locusts have
cleared small place: it may be cubic
each way round the pe, and the air is dark
with locusts on all sides. But let the king
have patience, and no doubt we shall have
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 another locust went in and carried
off another grain of corn, and another To-
Gust went in and carried off another grain of
corn, and another locust went in and carried
off another grain of corn, and another To-
Gust went in and carried off another grain
Of corn"
At last the poor king could stand it no
longer, and cried out:
"Oh, man that is enough take my
daughter take my kingdom take any
thing, everything /! only let me hear no more
of the abominabe locusts.
And so the story teller was married to
the king daughter, and was declared heir
to the throne, and nobody ever expressed a
WISH to hear the rest of the story, for he said
it was impossible to come to the other end
of it until he had done with the locusts.