THE ENDLESS TALE
TIME: a long time ago.
PLACE: the King's palace.
KING.
PRINCESS.
FIRST STORY-TELLER.
SECOND STORY-TELLER.
LORDS AND LADIES.
GUARDS.
[The KING sits on a cushion in the great hall. The PRINCESS sits on a cushion by him. In front of them sits the FIRST STORY-TELLER. The LORDS and LADIES sit near by.]
STORY-TELLER. "Then the prince married the princess and they were happy forever and ever."
[There is a pause.]
KING. Go on!
(The Story-Teller hangs his head.)
Go on, I say!
STORY-TELLER. That is all, your Majesty.
KING. All!
STORY-TELLER. The prince married the princess. There is nothing more to tell.
KING. I cannot bear so short a story!
PRINCESS. Why, father; for three months we have listened to it!
KING. 'Tis short, I say! I bid you make it longer, sir!
STORY-TELLER. I cannot, Sire. The prince married the princess. There is nothing—
KING. Throw him out of the palace, guards! Cut off his head!
[Guards seize the Story-Teller.]
PRINCESS. Father!
LORDS. Your Majesty!
LADIES. 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. Then—"
KING (interrupting). Yes, yes! Now go on with the story.
SECOND STORY-TELLER. The story shall go on, O King! "Then another locust went in and carried away another grain of corn. Then another locust—"
KING (interrupting). I tell you to go on with the story!
SECOND STORY-TELLER. I obey, great King. "Then another locust went in and carried away another grain of corn. Then another—"
KING. The story! The story, I tell you!
SECOND STORY-TELLER. This is the story, O King! "Then another locust went in and carried away another grain of corn. Then—"
KING. I cannot stand it! How long will it take the locusts to carry away all the grain?
SECOND STORY-TELLER. One thousand years, O King! "Then another locust went in and—"
KING. Stop! Stop! Take my daughter! Be king after me! Be king now! Anything to stop the locusts!