Year: 1867

There was certain king who, like many Eastern
kings, was very fond Of hearing stories told. To
this amusement he gave up all his time but yet he
was never satisfied. All the exertions of his cour-
tiers were in vain. The more he heard the more
he wanted to hear At last he made proclama-
tion, that if any man would tell him story that
would last forever, he would make him his heir,
and give him the princess, his daughter, in mar
riage; but if any one should pretend that he had
such story, but should fail that is, if the story
did come to an nd-he was to have his head chop
ped off.


For such prize as beautiful princess, and a
kingdom, many candidates appeared and dread
fully long stories some of them told. Some of them
lasted week, some month, andsome six months
poor fellows they all spun them out as long as
they possibly could, you may be sure but all in
vain; sooner or latter they all came to an end and
one after another, the unlucky story-tellers had
their heads chopped off:


At last c. ne a man who said that he had a story
which would last forever, if his Majesty would be
pleased to give him a trial.


many others had tried, and lost their heads but
he said he was not afraid, and so he was brought
before the king He was man of very compos-
ed and deliberate manner of speaking; and, after
making all requisite stipulations for time for his
eating and drinking and sleeping, he thus began
his story:


20, king, there was once king who was great
tyrant and desiring to increase his riches he seiz
ed upon all the corn and grain in bis kingdom, and
put it into an immense granary, which he built on
purpose as high as a.mountain. This did he to1
the top. He then stopped up the doors and win
dows, and closed it up fast on all sides.


But the bricklayers had, by accident, left a small
hnIn hat ~ n
flight of ocusts, and tried to get at the corn; but
the hole was so small that only one locust could
pass through at a time. So one locust went in and
carried off one grain Of corn and then another To-
Gust went in and carried off another grain of corn
and then another locust went in and carried off an
other 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, and then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain of corn


He had gone on thus from morning to night lex
cept when he was engaged at his meals) for about
a month, when the King, though very patient
king began to be rather tired of the locusts and in
terupted his story with


we will suppose they helped themselves to all the
corn they wanted; tell us what happened after
wards.


eff it please your Majesty, it isimpossible to tell
you what happened afterwards, before have told
you what happened first. y


And then he went on again:


'And then another locust went in and carried of
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"


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


"Oh, friend 1 am weary of your locusts How
soon do you think they will have done?'


To which the story-teller made answer:
my story has come, the locusts have cleared away
small space, it may be cubit, each way round
the inside of the hole, and the air is still dark with
ocusts on all sides; but let the king have patience
and no doubt we will come to the end of them in
time"


Thus encouraged, the king listened on for anoth-
er full year, the story-teler going on as before


"And another locust went in and carried off an
other grain of corn, and another locust went in and
carried off another grain of corn, and another To-
Gust went in and carried off another grain of corn
and another locust went in and carried off another
grain of corn, and another locust went in and car
ied off another grain of corn, and another locust
went in and carried off another grain of corn, till
at last the poor king could bear it no longer, and
cried, out


aOh IMAM, that Is enoughl -Taksmy daughter
takemy kingdom take anything Everything i!
only let me hear no more of your abominable To-
Gusts"


And so the story.teDer was married to the king S
daughter and was declared heir of the throne and
nobody ever expressed wish to hear the rest of the
story, for he said it was impossible to come to the
other part Of it till he had done with the locusts-
The unreasonable caprice of the foolish king was
thus overmatehed by the ingenious device Of the
wise man.-Erchange.