An Endless Story

In the Far East there was a wealthy king who did nothing all day but sit on soft cushions and listen to stories. The king loved stories and never grew tired of them even if a story was very long.

“There is one fault with your stories!” he often said to his storytellers: “They are too short.”

Storytellers from all over the world were invited to his royal palace, and some told tales that lasted many days. But the king was always sad when their story came to an end.

Finally, he decided to send word to every city and town in his empire offering a prize to any one who would tell him an endless tale. He declared,

“To the man who will tell me a tale that shall last forever, I will give him my most beautiful daughter for his wife; and he shall be my heir.”

But, to this the king added a very harsh condition. “If any man shall try and then fail, he shall be burned alive and die the death of one thousand screams.”

The king's daughter had hair like silk, eyes like the bluest sea, and teeth as white as snow, and many young men in the country were willing to do anything to win her. But none of them wanted to be burned alive and die the death of one thousand screams, and so only a few were brave enough, and perhaps, silly enough to try for the prize.

One young man from the south spun a story that lasted six months; but at the end of that time, he could not think of one single word more. His screams could be heard echoing in the king’s valley as a warning to others, and it was a long time before another soul was brave enough to test the king’s patience.

Then one day, a strange man from a mountain town, known for its tales and adventure, came into the king’s palace.

“My Lord,” he said, “is it true that you offer your daughter and your kingdom to the man who can tell you a story with no end?”

“Yes, it is true,” said the king, “but if such a man shall fail, he shall be burned alive and die the death of one thousand screams.”

“So be it,” said the strange mountain man. “I have a very interesting story to tell you. It is about locusts, terrible locusts.”

“So on with it!” demanded the king. “I am eager to hear your tale.”

The strange mountain man began his tale rather slowly; his tone soft and mellow like a tickling stream.

“Once upon a time,” he said, “an evil king seized all the corn in his country and stored it away in a strong granary guarded by twelve of his strongest and most feared guards. But one day a swarm of locusts came over the land and quickly found the granary. The guards ran away in terror. After searching for many days, one locust found on the north side of the granary a small hoe that was just large enough for it to pass through. So it went in and carried out a grain of corn; then another locust went in and carried out a grain of corn; then another locust went in and carried out a grain of corn.”

Day after day, week after week, the strange mountain man kept on saying slowly, “Then another locust went in and carried out a grain of corn.”

A month passed; a year passed. At the end of two years, the king asked quietly.

“How much longer will the locusts be going in and carrying out the corn?”

“O great king!” exclaimed the storyteller, suddenly excited, “they have as yet cleared only on cubic meter of corn; and there are many thousands of cubic meters of corn left in the granary.”

“Oh my God… You will drive me mad!” cried the king. “I can’t take it no longer. Take my daughter; be my heir; rule my kingdom. But do not mention one more single word about those horrible locusts!”

And so… the strange mountain man married the king’s beautiful daughter. And he lived happily with his wife for many years. But his father-in-law, the king, was never quite the same, and did not care to listen to any more stories.