The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-08-08
THE GREATEST
NONSENSE IN
THE WORLD
BY JOHN EARL
Copyright, By shortstory Pub CO..

AN"NA NAhSoi oCht
out to every quarter Of his kingdom
heralds %gorgeously arrayed in scar
let, to proclaim with long trumpets
That the king, having pondcred long
on wisdom, and being thereof
wearied, would give one-half his
lands, his riches and his iewels-nay,
a seat beside him on his throne-to
that man who could tell him the
greatest nonsense in the world.
Within a month from that day, the
heralds with a loud flourish made
their proclamation, the king would
hold his court, and on that day there
might appear before him all those
who were minded to make trial for
the dazzling prize, No mar would
be excluded, high or low.
Excitement such as was never
known before throughout the king
dom ran in the heralds' wake from
hamlet to hamlet, town to town.
The sagos, trembling with anticipa-
ton, betook them each one to his
tower, and each through his telescope
looked out on the fair land Of Nor
"
land, its turrets and its steeples, its
streams, its forests and its vineyards,
half Of which, with all its opportuni-
ties for power and Advancement, he
was confident would in a month be
his. The common people, blind with
greed, leaned each one on his mat
took in the fields and, open-mouthed,
forgot TO work, feeling each in his
pockets the weight of half the king
dom's gold-dreaming a similar, all
though more common, dream, On
that day when Almer was to hold
his court the procession on the road
that led into the palace gates was
like a snake whose tail appeared to
have no end. There passed into the
audienee-chamber shutting wisemen,
hobbling peasants, cloaks and ier-
kins, hoods and hats. The monarch,
surrounded by his followers, sat in
solitary grandeur on the seat which
each one hoped, before the day was
out, to share. Behind him, through
the open windows, CLEANED Nor
lands towers and its spires. Alas
kir, the foremost Of the sages, who
had hurried to be first, that he
might have his say before anyone
else had had a chance, bowed low
before the king.
"The greatest nonsense in the
world, my liege," said he, would
be to say that the sun, which arises
on us in the morning and withdraws
his radiance from US in the evening,
does not shine"
Although the multitude craned
anxiously it vas seen that the king
did not move over to make room for
the sage beside him on his throne.
"No greater nonsense" he replied
augustly from his lofty chair, than
to say that the moon, which is NO
doubt accountable for such lunacy az
thine, does net give forth her beams
at night"
"The greatest nonsense in the
world, great king" declared Valdez.
the next sage, who had succeeded III
the struggle to be second, "would be
to say that the earth on which We
live, whose shape has been proven t.
us, is not round"
@Great nonsense, truly" said the
king, "and yet no greater than to say
that the floor on which you stand
whose shape you yourself have
proven, is not fiat or to deny tina
the throne on which you see me sit
to which your wit cannot attain, il
high"
The second Of his sages drew hi
hood about his face.
"The greatest nonsense in tn,
world" affirmed Obadimir, the third
whose smile bespoke his confdenc,
that the prize had but to wait till HI
had spoken, 4would be to say tina
we know where we shall 60 when W,
are dead"
"Thou hast said WELL" replied tn
king, ''and yet my throne is not 70
thee. AS great nonsense as it wcul'
be to say-although thy visions 0
tonight will doubtlessly be ill-tha
we know what we shall dream wheI
we sleep"
A fourth among the sages ex
pressed as his opinion that it woul,