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Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin, 42. THE ENDLESS TALE

42. THE ENDLESS TALE

IN the Far East there was a great king who had no work to do. Every day, and all day long, he sat on soft cushions and listened to stories. And no matter what the story was about, he never grew tired of hearing it, even though it was very long.

"There is only one fault that I find with your story," he often said: "it is too short." All the story-tellers in the world were invited to his palace; and some of them told tales that were very long indeed. But the king was always sad when a story was ended.

At last he sent word into every city and town and country place, offering a prize to any one who should tell him an endless tale. He said,—

"To the man that will tell me a story which shall last forever, I will give my fairest daughter for his wife; and I will make him my heir, and he shall be king after me." But this was not all. He added a very hard condition. "If any man shall try to tell such a story, and then fail, he shall have his head cut off." The king's daughter was very pretty, and there were many young men in that country who were willing to do anything to win her. Bnt none of them wanted to lose their heads, and so only a few tried for the prize.

One young man invented a story that lasted three months; but at the end of that time, he could think of nothing more. His fate was a warning to others, and it was a long time before another story-teller was so rash as to try the king's patience. But one day a stranger from the South came into the palace.

"Great king," he said, "is it true that you offer a prize to the man who can tell a story that has no end?" "It is true," said the king. "And shall this man have your fairest daughter for his wife, and shall he be your heir?" "Yes, if he succeeds," said the king. "But if he fails, he shall lose his head." "Very well, then," said the stranger. "I have a pleasant story about locusts which I would like to relate." "Tell it," said the king. "I will listen to you." The story-teller began his tale.

"Once upon a time a certain king seized upon all the corn in his country, and stored it away in a strong granary. But a swarm of locusts came over the land and saw where the grain had been put. After searching for many days they found on the east side of the granary a crevice that 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." Day after day, week after week, the man kept on saying, "Then another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn." A month passed; a year passed. At the end of two years, the king said,—

"How much longer will the locusts be going in and carrying away corn?" "O king!" said the story-teller, "they have as yet cleared only one cubit; and there are many thousand cubits in the granary." "Man, man!" cried the king, "you will drive me mad. I can listen to it no longer. Take my daughter; be my heir; rule my kingdom. But do not let me hear another word about those horrible locusts!" And so the strange story-teller married the king's daughter. And he lived happily in the land for many years. But his father-in-law, the king, did not care to listen to any more stories.

42. THE ENDLESS TALE 42. A HISTÓRIA SEM FIM

IN the Far East there was a great king who had no work to do. Uzak Doğu'da yapacak işi olmayan büyük bir kral vardı. Every day, and all day long, he sat on soft cushions and listened to stories. And no matter what the story was about, he never grew tired of hearing it, even though it was very long. Ve hikayenin konusu ne olursa olsun, çok uzun olmasına rağmen, onu duymaktan asla bıkmadı.

"There is only one fault that I find with your story," he often said: "it is too short." "Na tvém příběhu nacházím jen jednu chybu," často říkal: "je příliš krátký." 「あなたの話で私が見つけた欠点は1つだけです」と彼はよく言った:「それは短すぎる」. “Hikayende bulduğum tek bir hata var” dedi sık sık: “çok kısa.” All the story-tellers in the world were invited to his palace; and some of them told tales that were very long indeed. Dünyadaki tüm hikaye anlatıcıları sarayına davet edildi; ve bazıları gerçekten çok uzun hikayeler anlattı. But the king was always sad when a story was ended. Ancak bir hikaye bittiğinde kral her zaman üzgündü.

At last he sent word into every city and town and country place, offering a prize to any one who should tell him an endless tale. Nihayet her şehir ve kasabaya ve ülkeye haber verdi, ona sonsuz bir hikaye anlatması gerekenlere ödül verdi. He said,—

"To the man that will tell me a story which shall last forever, I will give my fairest daughter for his wife; and I will make him my heir, and he shall be king after me." "Bana sonsuza dek sürecek bir hikaye anlatan adama, karısına en iyi kızımı vereceğim ve onu varisim yapacağım ve o da benden sonra kral olacak." But this was not all. しかし、これだけではありませんでした。 He added a very hard condition. "If any man shall try to tell such a story, and then fail, he shall have his head cut off." The king's daughter was very pretty, and there were many young men in that country who were willing to do anything to win her. Kralın kızı çok güzeldi ve o ülkede onu kazanmak için her şeyi yapmak isteyen birçok genç adam vardı. Bnt none of them wanted to lose their heads, and so only a few tried for the prize. 頭を失いたくなかったので、賞品を狙ったのはごくわずかでした。

One young man invented a story that lasted three months; but at the end of that time, he could think of nothing more. ある若者は、3 か月続く物語を発明しました。しかし、その時の終わりに、彼はそれ以上何も考えることができませんでした. His fate was a warning to others, and it was a long time before another story-teller was so rash as to try the king's patience. Jeho osud byl varováním pro ostatní a trvalo dlouho, než byl další vypravěč tak unáhlený a zkusil královu trpělivost. 彼の運命は他の人々への警告であり、別の語り手が王の忍耐を試すほど性急になるまでには長い時間がかかりました。 Kaderi başkalarına bir uyarıydı ve başka bir hikaye anlatıcısının kralın sabrını deneyecek kadar kızarması çok uzun zaman önceydi. But one day a stranger from the South came into the palace. しかしある日、南部から見知らぬ男が宮殿に入ってきました。

"Great king," he said, "is it true that you offer a prize to the man who can tell a story that has no end?" 「大王」と彼は言った、「終わりのない物語を語ることができる男に賞を与えるというのは本当ですか? "Büyük kral," dedi, "sonu olmayan bir hikaye anlatabilecek adama bir ödül verdiğin doğru mu?" "It is true," said the king. "And shall this man have your fairest daughter for his wife, and shall he be your heir?" “Ve bu adam karısı için en dürüst kızına sahip olacak mı ve senin mirasçısı olacak mı? "Yes, if he succeeds," said the king. "But if he fails, he shall lose his head." "Very well, then," said the stranger. "I have a pleasant story about locusts which I would like to relate." "Mám příjemný příběh o kobylkách, který bych rád vylíčil." 「イナゴについて話してみたい楽しい話があります。」 "İlişkilendirmek istediğim çekirgeler hakkında hoş bir hikayem var." "Tell it," said the king. "I will listen to you." The story-teller began his tale.

"Once upon a time a certain king seized upon all the corn in his country, and stored it away in a strong granary. „Jistý král se kdysi dávno zmocnil všeho obilí ve své zemi a uložil je v silné sýpce. 「むかしむかし、ある王が国中のすべてのトウモロコシを手に入れ、頑丈な穀倉に保管しました。 "Bir zamanlar belli bir kral ülkesindeki tüm mısırları ele geçirdi ve güçlü bir tahıl ambarı içinde sakladı. But a swarm of locusts came over the land and saw where the grain had been put. Ale hejno kobylek přiletělo přes zemi a vidělo, kam bylo nasypáno obilí. しかし、いなごの大群が陸地にやって来て、穀物が置かれた場所を見ました。 After searching for many days they found on the east side of the granary a crevice that was just large enough for one locust to pass through at a time. Po mnoha dnech pátrání našli na východní straně sýpky štěrbinu, která byla právě tak velká, aby tudy prošla jedna kobylka najednou. 何日も探した後、彼らは穀倉の東側に、一度に一匹のバッタが通り抜けるのに十分な大きさの裂け目を見つけました. 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." Day after day, week after week, the man kept on saying, "Then another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn." 毎日、毎週、男は言い続けました。 A month passed; a year passed. At the end of two years, the king said,—

"How much longer will the locusts be going in and carrying away corn?" 「イナゴが入ってトウモロコシを運び去るのはあとどれくらいですか?」 "Çekirgeler daha ne kadar içeri girip mısırları uzaklaştıracak?" "O king!" said the story-teller, "they have as yet cleared only one cubit; and there are many thousand cubits in the granary." と語り部は言いました。 "Man, man!" cried the king, "you will drive me mad. と王様は叫びました、「あなたは私を怒らせるでしょう。 Kralı ağladım, "beni kızdıracaksın. I can listen to it no longer. 私はもうそれを聞くことができません。 Take my daughter; be my heir; rule my kingdom. But do not let me hear another word about those horrible locusts!" しかし、あの恐ろしい蝗害について、これ以上は言わせないでください!」 And so the strange story-teller married the king's daughter. And he lived happily in the land for many years. But his father-in-law, the king, did not care to listen to any more stories. しかし、彼の義父である国王は、これ以上話を聞く気はありませんでした。