The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-10-26
A Story and Sum for the Boys.

A great while ago there lived king who
fgoverned great empire, and he was greatly
beloved by bis subjects. Just before be died,
he sent for an old philosopher who had often
tgiven him good advice, and requested him to
be as good friend to his son as he had always
proved to him. The promise was freely made,
and the old king died ip peace. The son as
cended the throne, but he soon got vain and
proud. He became tyranical and impetuous,
and wasted his estate in voluptuous pleasures.
The young kings wife was, however, a most
excellent woman, and much beloved through
out the Empire. The old philosopher sent for
him the game of chess, which he had just in
vented. The young king consented, and after
several trials became very much interested.
He asked the old man what made him ever
think of such game. The philosoper replied I:
'eMy son, was thinking about your king
dom, and how easily it could be lost, if your
subjects were to combine against you. In this
game the king has but little power of his own,
and if not protected and guarded by his duti-
full subjects, is soon checkmated. His queen
will of course sustain him whether right or
wrong, and has great influence and power in
the State. The castles represent your wealthy
and powerful subjects, who have large estates,
and control many serfs, and who live in houses
of stone, protected by towers and fortresses.-
They constitute formidable power if they
combine against you. The knights represent
the chivalry of your kingdom. They do battle
on horse, and their movements, though irregu-
lar, are exceedingly dangerous to their foes.
The bishops are the church. This is not war
like portion of your subjects, but when it
moves on its peculiar line it is terrible foe
Last of all, my son, are the pawns. Singly
they have but little power, but as supporters
and defenders they constitute the strength of a
government. These are your humble subjects,
the poor men, who fight your battles, and whose
labor and toll provides your food and clothing.
Oh, King if you would not be checkmated
and lose your kingdom, you must gain the
friendship of all these"
The young king took the admonition and the
lesson to heart and resolved to change his
course. He soon recovered the love and conf
dence of his people, and was so grateful to the
philosopher that he sent for him and said he
wished to make him some magnificent present.
This was at once declined. They then played
game of chess together for the following
wager: If the king lost, he was to give the
philosopher one grain of corn for the first
square of the chess board, two grains for the
second, four grains for the third, eight grains
for the fourth, and so on, doubling Cor each
square through the whole sixty-four. The
king laughed at the insigni6cance of the wager:
The philosopher won the game, and then told
the king that if he had thousand worlds, and
in each world there was thousand kingdoms,
and in each kingdom q thousand provinces,
and in each province thousand granaries, and
in each granary thousand bushels of corn, it
all would not be half enough to pay the debt.
Now my young friends, will you please to
tell us how many bushels it would take to pay
the wager, counting one thousand grains to
each ear of corn, and one hundred ears to the
bushel?