Year: 1867




THE LONGEST STORY ON RECORD.


The following will amuse almost
any one who will take the trouble
and spare the time to read it through.
There was once a 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 satis-
fed The exertions of his courtiers
were all in vain. He at last made a
proclamation that if any mau should
tell him story that should last for
ever, he would certainly make him
his heir and give him the princess,
his daughter, i'll marriage, but if any
| one should fail, that is, if the story
did come to an end-he was to have
his head cut off


For such a price as a beautiful
princess and kingdom, many can
didates appeared, and dreadful long
stories some of them told Some of
them lasted a week, some a 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
eEd, and one after another, the un-
lucky story-tellers had their heads
chopped off At last came a man
who said that he had a story that
would last forever, if his majesty
would be pleased to give him trial.
He warned him of his danger they
told him how many others had tried
and lost their heads, but he said he
was not afraid and so he was bro't
before the king He was man of a
very composed and deliberate way
of speaking, and, after making all
necessary stipulations for his eating,
drinking and sleeping, he thus be-
gan:


Oh, king, there was once a king
who was great tyrant; and desir-
ing to increase his riches, he seized
upon the corn in his kingdom, and
put it into an immense granary,
which was built on purpose, as high
as a mountain. This he did for sew
eral years until the granary was
quite full to the top. He then stop
ped the doors and windows on all
sides. But the bricklayers had, by
accident, left very 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 locust could pass
through at a time So one locust
went in and carried off one 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.


He had gone on thus from morning
till night Except when he was en-
gagged at his meals) for about
month, when the king began to be
rather tired with his locust, and in
terrupted his story with:


Well, we'll, we have heard en-
ough of the locust, we will suppose
they helped themselves to all the
corn they wanted. Tell us what hap
pened afterwards"


To which the story-teller answer
ed deliberately "If it please your
majesty, it is impossible to tell what
happened afterwards before | tell
what happened first"


And then he went on And then
another locust went in and carried
of another grain OF corn, and then
another locust wentin and carried off
another grain of corn, and then an
other locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn, and then an
other locust went in and carried off
another grain OF CON-"


The king listened with unconquer-
able patience tor six months more,
when he again interrupted him with:


"0h /! friend | am weary of your
locusts. How soon do you think
they will have done 7"


To which the story-teller made an
swer


"Oh! king, who can tell At
the time to which my story has come
the locusts have cleared a small
space it may be a cubit each way
round the hole, and the air is still
dark with locustc on all sides. But
let the king have patience, and no
doubt we shall have to come to the
end of them in time"


Thus encouraged, the king listen
ed on for another full year, the story
teller going on still as before.


"And 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, and
then another locust went III and car
ried off another grain Of corn, and
then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain OF corn"


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


"Oh, man, that is enough, take m.
daughter take my kingdom taxi
anything, everything, only let M
hear no more of the abOminable lc
Gusts"


And so the story-teller was mai
ried to the kings daughter, and wa


declared heir to the throne, and nj


body ever expressed wish to hea


the rest of the story, for he said
! was impossible to come to the othe
part of it till he had done with tt
: locusts.