Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1867-11-06
The Longest Story on Record.


any one who Will take the trouble and
spare the time to read it through:
There was once certain King,
who, like many Eastern Kings, was
very fond of hearing stories. To this
amusement he gave up all his time !;
but he was never satisfied. The ex-
ertions Of his courtiers were all in
vain. He at last made proclama-
ton, that. if anv man would tell him
story that should last forever, he
would certainly make him his heir and
give him the princess, his daughter, in
marriage but if any one should pre-
tend he had such a story, and should
! fail-that is, the story did come to an
end--he was to have his head cut off
For such prize as beautiful prin-
cess and a kingdom many candidates
appeared, and dreadful long stories
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
could, but all in vain Sooner or lat
er they all came to an end, one after
another and the unlucky story-tellers
had their heads chopped off
| At last came a man saying he had one
that would last forever if His Majesty
would be pleased to give him trial
He was warned of his danger they
told him how many 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 a very
com posed and deliberate way of speak
ing. And, after making all necessary
stlpula tious for his eating, drinking
and sleeping, he thus began:
Oh, King there was once king
who was great tyrant. And desir-
ing to increase his riches, he seized
upon the corn IN his kingdom. and put
1t III an immense grauary, which was
built on purpose, as high as a noun
tain, This he did for several wears.
until the granary was quite full to the
top. tie then stopped the doors and
windows on all sides. But the brick
layers had, by accident, left 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 pass through at time so one
locust went in and carried off one
grain of corn. and then another went
IN and carried off another grain of corn
and then another locust went in and
carried off another Grain Of corn y
lie had gone on thus from mornino
till night Cexcept when he was en-.
caced at his meaIsl for about ona
month, when the King began to be
rather tirad win III 1o.u.t7 "a :,
terrupted his story with-
" Well. we'll. we have heard enouoh
of the locusts. We will sunpose thev
helped themselves to all the corn they
wanted. Tell Us what hanpened aft.
erward."
To which the storv-tcIler deliber.
atclv answered
uTf i ,,laaea ,-o,,,- No;os+,. :. -,
possible to tell what happened after
ward before | tell vou what happened
first.
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 car
ried off another grain Of corn"
The King listened with great pa
tIenee for SIX months more, when he
again interrupted hm with
Oh' Trend am weary of your
Iocusts. How soon do you think they
: E1y- ~