Year: 1867

AAAHArA<A ShNAhh k0diCu <Os Us


The Longest Story on Record.


The following will amuse almost any
one who will take the trouble to read it
through:


There was once certain King, who,
like many Eastern Kings. was very fond
of hearing stories told. To this amuse-
ment he gave all his time, but he was
never satisfied. The exertions Of his cour-
tiers were all in vain. He at last made q
proclamation that if 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.


For such price as beautiful princess
and kingdom many candidates appeared,
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 an end, one after another
and the unlucky story-tellers had their
heads chopped off. At last came man
who said he had story that would last
forever if his majesty would give him a
trial. He was man of very composed
and deliberate way of speaking, and after
mixing all necessary s.ipulations for his
eating, drinking and sleeping. he thus be-
gan:


"Oh, king there was a king who was
great tyrant and desiring to increase
his riches he seized upon the corn in his
/ kingdom, and Put il in an immense granery
which was baiia on purpose, as high as
mountain. This he did for several years,
until the granery was quite full TO the top.
He then stopped the doors and windows
on all sides. But the bricklayers had, by
accident, left small hole near the top of
the granery, and there came fight Of To-
Gusts and tried to get at the corn, but the
hole was SO small that only one locust
would pass through at time. So one
locust went in and carried off one grain Of
corn, and then another went in and carried
off arother grain of corn, and another To-
Gust went in and carried off another grain
oil corn"


He had gone on thus from morning till
night Except when he was engaged at his
meals) for about month, when the King
began TO be rather tired with his locusts.
and interrupted his story with


swell, well, We have heard enough Of
the locust, we will suppose they helped
themselves to all the corn they wanted.
Tell us what happened afterward."


To which our story-teller answered de-
liberately:


If it please your majesty, it is impos-
sible to tell what happen-d afterward be-
fore tell you 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 of an
other grain Of corn, and then another
locust went in and carried off another
grain of corn"


The king listened with unconquerable
patience for six months more, when be
again interrupted him with:


"Oh, friend ] am weary with your 10.
Gusts. How soon do you think they will
have done?"


To which the story-ieller made answer:
"Oh, 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 hole, 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"


Thus encouraged the King listened on
for another full year, the story-teller going
on still as before.


And another locust went in and car
ried off another grain of corn, and 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
carried off another grain Of corn"


At last the poor King could stand it no
longer, and cried out


"Oh man. that is enough to take my
daughter take my kingdom! take any
thing, everything; only let me hear no
more of the abominable locust"


And 90 the story-teller was marriedto
the Kings daughter, and was declared
heir to the throne, and nobody ever ex-
pressed a wish to hear the rest of the
story, for he said il was impossible TO come
to the other part Of il till he had done