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

The Longest Story EversTold.
odd folks need not read this, as we copy i
expressly for the delectation ofAour yoonnl
friends twill hardly strike the eye,s bu
read it aloud to companyIof boys and girl
if you wish tosfnd,thc point oft: ia
There was once q certain king whorlik.'
many Easternk kings, was very fond of hearing
stories told. To this amusement he gave VI
al his timeybut. yet he was never satisfied
The exertions of his courtiers were all IL
vain. He at last made proclamation, tha
if any man would tell him storythat shoul;
last forever he would make him lis heir ant
give him the princess, his daughter, in mar
rage, but if any one should pretend he has
such story, but should fail-that is, if thu
story did come to an end-he was to have hi
head cut off.
For such price as beautiful princess ans
a kingdom, many candidates appeared, ans
dreadful long stories some of them told. Some
lasted a week, some month, some sia
months Poor fellows, they. all spun then
out as long as they possibly could; but all i
vain. Sooncr-or later they all came to ~
end cne after anothef;fth unlucky story tell
ers had their heads chopped, off. At last GAME
2 man who said that he had a story thai
would last forever, if his majesty would sbbft
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 lie was brought before
Fthe king. He was a man Of very composed
and delibcraee way Of speaking, and aftel
making all necessary stipulations tot time. fcl
his eating, drinking and sleeping, ne thu
began: s
ooh, king there was once king who sasl
great tyrant; and desiring 10 increase his
riches, he seized upon the corn in his kns:
Fdom-and putt in nn.immeIss granaEy, ghtsg
was built on purpose, as high as mountain
This he did for .everal years, until his gran
ary WIS quite fall to the top. lie then stop
ped doors aud windows, and closed it up ias
on ell sides. But the brick'ayers had, by ac-
ciden!, left !! very small hole near the top o.
the eranary, acd there came flight oil IT,
Gusts, and tried to get Mt the corn, but Tho
hole was So small that only one locust couc
pass through at time. So one locust Went
in a,;d carried oil orc grain Of corn, ans, then
another locust went III AID carried ell another
Grain OF coili and then apo;hcI locus, Wen
m and carried oii another grain oi corn, arc
then another Iocast went in and carried OF
another grain of corn, ard then another locl'
went in and carried oil another grain OF corn
and then another locust Went in ANA carried
uiI anolher grain of corn, aad then another
locust wcnt in and carried off another grain
Of corn. and thea aaother locust went III and
carried ci' another gram oi corn, and then
another locust wen! in ara carried of 4noth
or grain Of corn, and then another locust
went in aud carried oft ano:hcr gyain g
corn.' :,
He had gone on thus from morning ill
night (exccpt when lie was engaged ct his
meals Tor about month, when the king be-
gan to bc rather tired of the locusts, ana in
terrupted his story with:
DWELL, well, we have heard enough OF the
locusts we will suppose they helped them
selves to all tie corn they wanted. Tell US
what happened afterwards"
To which the story-teller answered deliber
ately: lrit please your majesty, it is lm
possible 10 tell what happened afterwards he
fore tell what haS happened first" Anc
then he went cn again.
E" And then another locust went III and car
ricd of another grain OF corn, and then an
other locust went in and carried OFT another
grain Of corn, ard then another locust wen
il and carried of another grain of corn, and
then another locust w,nt in ard carried o!
another grain OF corn, and theu arc:her 10
Gust went in and carried of another grain o.
corn"
The king listened with unconquerabe pa
-tiencc six months more, when he again inter
rupted him with:
"0h, friend am weary of your loousls !,
How soon do ycu think they will have done ?
To which The story teller made answer:
"Oh, king, who can tell? AT the time Il
which my story has come, the locuss har'
cleared small space; 1t may be cubit eacl
way round the inside of the hole, and the al
is still dark with locusts on all sides. Blu
let the king have patience, and no doubt W.
shall conc to the end Of them in time"
Thus encouraged, the king listened ON to-
another full year, the story teller going OF
still as before:
sand then another locust went in ard car
ried of another grain Of corn, and then ar
other lOcast wens in aud carried off anot e
grain of corn, and then another locust wen
in and carried Off another grain of corr
aud then another locust went in and
carried of another grain of corn, and ther
another locust went in and carried oft anoh
er grain OF corn"
At last the poor king could stand it no Ion
ger, and cried out:
Oh, man, that is enough, take my daugh
ter! take my kingdom! take anyihing-cv
erythiug, only let us hear no more Of th
abominabe lucusts."
And SO the story teller was married to tn
kings daught and was declared heir to th
throne, and nobody ever expressed wish tt
hear the rest of the story, for he said it wa
impossible to como to the other part Of it uil
til lie had done with the locusts.
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