Chapter 14

TIME: _a little later._ PLACE: _the west bank of the river._

* * * * *

THE JACKAL. THE CAMEL.

* * * * *

[_The_ CAMEL _lies on the bank half dead from his beating. Enter the_ JACKAL.]

JACKAL. Are you ready to go now, friend?

CAMEL. Don't say "friend" to me!

JACKAL. Why do you speak so strangely?

CAMEL. Why did you sing so strangely?

JACKAL. Oh, I don't know why! I always sing after dinner.

CAMEL. Ah! Well, let us go.

[_He kneels. The Jackal gets on his back. The Camel rises and enters the river. He swims to the middle of the river and stops._]

JACKAL. Why do you stop?

CAMEL. I have such a strange, strange feeling.

JACKAL. Well, swim on. You need not stop!

CAMEL. I feel as if I must roll over.

JACKAL. Roll over! If you do, I shall be drowned!

CAMEL. Exactly. But still I have that feeling.

JACKAL. Now that is nonsense! Why should you roll over?

CAMEL. Oh, I don't know why! I always roll over after dinner.

[_He rolls over._]

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!

THE HOLE IN THE DIKE