Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-17
The Longest Story ON Record.

-Nrr u
nl There was once certain king, who,
4 like many Eastern kings, was very fond
=, of hearing stories told. To this amuse-
ment he gave up all his time, but he
Owas never satisfied. The exertions of
his courtiers were all in vain. He at
last made proclamation that it any
{ man should 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 pretend he had such story,
and should fail-that is, the story did
come to an end-he was to have his
head cut off. -.,f.
a For such price as beautiful prin-
cess and kingdom, many candidates ap-
.peared, and dreadful long stories some
of them told. Some lasted 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 later they all came to
Jan end, and the unlucky story tellers had
their heads chopped off. At last came
.aman 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
2 him how many had tried and lost their
+ heads, but he said he was not afraid
i and SO he was brought before the king.
He was man of a very composed and
deliberate way Of speaking, and after
making all necessary stipnlations for
uhislieating, drinking and sleeping, be
thus began :: 1saraH 9at rn 1ol
t'' 40 king there was once a king who
was great tyrant; and desiring to in
crease his riches, he seized dupon the
corn in his kingdom, and put it in an
immense granary, which was built on
purpose, as high as a mountain. This
he did for several years, until the gram
ary: was quite full to the top. He then
stopped the doors and windows on all
sides. But the bricklayers had, by ac-
cident, 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 To-
Gust could pass through at time. So
one locust went in and carried off one
grain of corn, and then snother 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 engaged
! at his meals) for about a month, when
the king began to be rather tired with
his locusts, and interrupted his story
with
..Well, well, we have heard enough of
3 the locust we will suppose they helped
themselves to all the corn they wanted.
Tell us what happened afterward."
To which the story-teller answered de-
liberately:
"If it please your majesty, it is i'm
> possible to tell what happened afterward
before 1 tell you what happened. first"
And then he went on again:
"And then another locust went in and
i carried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and carried
off another grain of corn, and then an
onther locust went in and carried off an
other grain of corn
The king listened with unconquerable
patience for six months more, when he
again interrupted him with
40, friend! am weary of your To-
Gusts. How soon do you think they will
have done? Z"
To which the story-teller made an
swer:
30 king! who can tell : At the time
to which my story has come, the locusts
have cleared small place, it may be
cubit, each way round the bole, and the
air is still 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"
ssEffhus encouraged, the king listened
on for another full year, the story-teller
going on still as before:
2 AkId another locust went IN and car
ried off another grain of corn, and then
another locust went in and carried OH
another grain of corn, and then another
Iocustywent went in and carried off an
other grain of corn, and then another llot
Gust went in and carried off another grain