Sire!
PRINCESS. Spare his life!
STORY-TELLER. Let me keep my head, Sire!
KING. Why should you keep it? You do not use it.
STORY-TELLER. For three months I have used it, Sire!
KING. Your story is too short, I say! Away with him, guards! Away!
(_Guards take out the First Story-Teller._)
Bid another Story-Teller come!
(_A guard admits the_ SECOND STORY-TELLER, _who bows before the King and
Princess._)
Sir, hear me. You must tell a story that will last forever.
SECOND STORY-TELLER. I hear, O King!
KING. If you can do this, you shall marry my daughter and be king after
me.
SECOND STORY-TELLER. I hear, O King!
KING. If you fail, you shall lose your head. Begin! And remember, the
story must go on forever. Now again I say, begin!
SECOND STORY-TELLER. "Once upon a time a certain king seized upon all
the corn in his country. He had it stored in a strong granary. Then came
a swarm of locusts over the land. Soon they found a crack in the south
side of the granary. Now the crack was just large enough for one locust
to pass through at a time. So one locust went in and carried away a
grain of corn. Then another locust went in and carried away a grain of
corn. Then another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn.
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