Year: 1872

many III stern kings, was very fond of
hearing stories told. To this amuse.
ment he gave up all his time; but vet
was never satisfied. The exertions of
all his coGrtiers were in vain. He, at
last, made proclamation, that if any
man should tell him a story that
should last forever he would make
him his heir, aud give him the princess,
his daughter, in marriage; but if any
one should pretend he had such story
but should iail-that is, if the story
did come to an end-he was to have
his head chopped of.


For such u price as a beautiful
princess and a kingdom many candi-
dates appeared and dreadfully long
stories some of them told. Some last
ed a week, some a month, some six
moths. Poor fellows they all spun
them out as long as they possibly
could; but in vain. Sooner or later
they all came to an end, and, one af-
ter another, 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 be pleased to give him
trial.


He was warned of his danger; they
told how many Others had tried, and
lost their heads; but he said he was
not afraid, anu So he WAS brought be-
fore the king. He was a man of a
very composed and deliberate way of
speaking, and after making all requls.
ite stipulation for time for his eating,
drinking and sleeping, he thus began
his story:


"Oh, king there was once a king
who was great tyrant. And desir.
ing to increase his riches, he seized
upon all the corn and grain in his
kingdom, aid put it in an immense
granary, which was built on purpose,
as high as a mountain.


"fhis he did for several years, till
the granary was quite full up to the
top. He then stopped up doors and
closed it up ON all sides.


"But the bricklayers. had, by acci-
dent, 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 onl ly oLe locust could pass through
at time. So one locust went in and
carried off one grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and car
rl.d oil another grain Of corn, and
then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and car
red off another grain of corn, and then
anothe, locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn, and then an
other locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn"


He had gone on thus from morning
till night Except when he was engaged
at his meals, for about a month, when
the king, though a very patient king,
began to be rather tired of the locusts,
and interrupted his story with


"Well, well, we have heard enough
Of the locnsts; we will sppose that
they helped themselves to all the corn
they vented. Tell US what happend
afterwards"


To which the story-teller answered
very deliberately:


"If it please your majesty, it is i'm
possible to tell what happened after
ward before | have told you what hap.
pened first"


And then he went on again





"And then locust went in and car.
ried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain of corn, and
then another locust went in and car
ried off another grain of corn"


The king listened with unconquera-
bic patience six months more, when he
again interrupted him with


"Oh, friend / am weary of your
locusts How soon do you thing you
will have done ?"


To which the story-teller made an.
swer-


ooh, king, who can tell! At the
time to which my story has come, the
locusts have cleared away a small
place, it may he a cubit, each way
round the inside OF the hole, and the
air is still dark with locusts on all
sides. But let the king have patience,
and no doubt, We shall come to the
end Of them in time"


Thus encouraged, the king listened
for another full year, the story. teller
going on still as before. "And then
another locust went in and carried off
another grain of corn, and then anoth
er locust went in aud carried off an.
other grain of corn, and then 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


"Oh, man, that is enough Take my
daughter take my kingdom! take my
anything-everything; only let us
hear no more Of your abomnable 10.
puSts 9n