MemGPT/example_short_stories · Datasets at Hugging Face

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was no escape. The king had placed sentries at all the gates, and
it was not possible to avoid his fate. As the day came when the
corpse was to be buried, he was taken down with it into the royal
vault and then the door was shut and bolted.

Near the coffin stood a table on which were four candles, four
loaves of bread, and four bottles of wine, and when this provision
came to an end, he would have to die of hunger. And now he sat
there full of pain and grief, ate every day only a little piece of
bread, drank only a mouthful of wine, and nevertheless saw death
daily drawing nearer. Whilst he thus gazed before him, he saw a
snake creep out of a corner of the vault and approach the dead body.
And as he thought it came to gnaw at it, he drew his sword and said,
as long as I live, you shall not touch her, and hewed the snake in
three pieces. After a time a second snake crept out of the hole,
and when it saw the other lying dead and cut in pieces, it went back,
but soon came again with three green leaves in its mouth. Then it
took the three pieces of the snake, laid them together, as they
fitted, and placed one of the leaves on each wound. Immediately the
severed parts joined themselves together, the snake moved, and
became alive again, and both of them hastened away together. The
leaves were left lying on the ground, and a desire came into the
mind of the unhappy man who had been watching all this, to know
if the wondrous power of the leaves which had brought the snake
to life again, could not likewise be of service to a human being.

So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of his
dead wife, and the two others on her eyes. And hardly had he done
this than the blood stirred in her veins, rose into her pale face,
and colored it again. Then she drew breath, opened her eyes, and
said, ah, God, where am I. You are with me, dear wife, he answered,
and told her how everything had happened, and how he
had brought her back again to life. Then he gave her some wine and
bread, and when she had regained her strength, he raised her up
and they went to the door and knocked, and called so loudly that
the sentries heard it, and told the king. The king came down
himself and opened the door, and there he found both strong and
well, and rejoiced with them that now all sorrow was over. The
young king, however, took the three snake-leaves with him, gave
them to a servant and said, keep them for me carefully, and carry
them constantly about you. Who knows in what trouble they may yet
be of service to us.

But a change had taken place in his wife. After she had been
restored to life, it seemed as if all love for her husband had gone
out of her heart. After some time, when he wanted to make a voyage
over the sea, to visit his old father, and they had gone on board a
ship, she forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shown
her, and which had been the means of rescuing her from death,
and conceived a wicked inclination for the skipper. And once when
the young king lay there asleep, she called in the skipper and
seized the sleeper by the head, and the skipper took him by the
feet, and thus they threw him down into the sea. When the
shameful deed was done, she said, now let us return home, and say
that he died on the way. I will extol and praise you so to my
father that he will marry me to you, and make you the heir to his
crown. But the faithful servant who had seen all that they did,
unseen by them, unfastened a little boat from the ship, got into it,
sailed after his master, and let the traitors go on their way. He
fished up the dead body, and by the help of the three snake-leaves
which he carried about with him, and laid on the eyes and mouth,
he fortunately brought the young king back to life.

They both rowed with all their strength day and night, and their
little boat sailed so swiftly that they reached the old king
before the others. He was astonished when he saw them come alone,
and asked what had happened to them. When he learnt the wickedness
of his daughter he said, I cannot believe that she has behaved so
ill, but the truth will soon come to light, and bade both go into a
secret chamber and keep themselves hidden from everyone. Soon
afterwards the great ship came sailing in, and the godless woman
appeared before her father with a troubled countenance. He said,
why do you come back alone. Where is your husband. Ah, dear
father, she replied, I come home again in great grief. During
the voyage, my husband became suddenly ill and died, and if the
good skipper had not given me his help, it would have gone ill with
me. He was present at his death, and can tell you all. The king
said, I will make the dead alive again, and opened the chamber,
and bade the two come out. When the woman saw her husband, she
was thunderstruck, and fell on her knees and begged for mercy.

The king said, there is no mercy. He was ready to die with you
and restored you to life again, but you have murdered him in his
sleep, and shall receive the reward that you deserve. Then she was
placed with her accomplice in a ship which had been pierced with
holes, and sent out to sea, where they soon sank amid the waves.
A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom
through all the land. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed
as if news of the most secret things was brought to him through
the air. But he had a strange custom, every day after dinner,
when the table was cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty
servant had to bring him one more dish. It was covered, however,
and even the servant did not know what was in it, neither did
anyone know, for the king never took off the cover to eat of it
until he was quite alone.
This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who
took away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he
could not help carrying the dish into his room. When he had
carefully locked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a white
snake lying on the dish. But when he saw it he could not deny

was no escape. The king had placed sentries at all the gates, and

it was not possible to avoid his fate. As the day came when the

corpse was to be buried, he was taken down with it into the royal

vault and then the door was shut and bolted.

Near the coffin stood a table on which were four candles, four

loaves of bread, and four bottles of wine, and when this provision

came to an end, he would have to die of hunger. And now he sat

there full of pain and grief, ate every day only a little piece of

bread, drank only a mouthful of wine, and nevertheless saw death

daily drawing nearer. Whilst he thus gazed before him, he saw a

snake creep out of a corner of the vault and approach the dead body.

And as he thought it came to gnaw at it, he drew his sword and said,

as long as I live, you shall not touch her, and hewed the snake in

three pieces. After a time a second snake crept out of the hole,

and when it saw the other lying dead and cut in pieces, it went back,

but soon came again with three green leaves in its mouth. Then it

took the three pieces of the snake, laid them together, as they

fitted, and placed one of the leaves on each wound. Immediately the

severed parts joined themselves together, the snake moved, and

became alive again, and both of them hastened away together. The

leaves were left lying on the ground, and a desire came into the

mind of the unhappy man who had been watching all this, to know

if the wondrous power of the leaves which had brought the snake

to life again, could not likewise be of service to a human being.

So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of his

dead wife, and the two others on her eyes. And hardly had he done

this than the blood stirred in her veins, rose into her pale face,

and colored it again. Then she drew breath, opened her eyes, and

said, ah, God, where am I. You are with me, dear wife, he answered,

and told her how everything had happened, and how he

had brought her back again to life. Then he gave her some wine and

bread, and when she had regained her strength, he raised her up

and they went to the door and knocked, and called so loudly that

the sentries heard it, and told the king. The king came down

himself and opened the door, and there he found both strong and

well, and rejoiced with them that now all sorrow was over. The

young king, however, took the three snake-leaves with him, gave

them to a servant and said, keep them for me carefully, and carry

them constantly about you. Who knows in what trouble they may yet

be of service to us.

But a change had taken place in his wife. After she had been

restored to life, it seemed as if all love for her husband had gone

out of her heart. After some time, when he wanted to make a voyage

over the sea, to visit his old father, and they had gone on board a

ship, she forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shown

her, and which had been the means of rescuing her from death,

and conceived a wicked inclination for the skipper. And once when

the young king lay there asleep, she called in the skipper and

seized the sleeper by the head, and the skipper took him by the

feet, and thus they threw him down into the sea. When the

shameful deed was done, she said, now let us return home, and say

that he died on the way. I will extol and praise you so to my

father that he will marry me to you, and make you the heir to his

crown. But the faithful servant who had seen all that they did,

unseen by them, unfastened a little boat from the ship, got into it,

sailed after his master, and let the traitors go on their way. He

fished up the dead body, and by the help of the three snake-leaves

which he carried about with him, and laid on the eyes and mouth,

he fortunately brought the young king back to life.

They both rowed with all their strength day and night, and their

little boat sailed so swiftly that they reached the old king

before the others. He was astonished when he saw them come alone,

and asked what had happened to them. When he learnt the wickedness

of his daughter he said, I cannot believe that she has behaved so

ill, but the truth will soon come to light, and bade both go into a

secret chamber and keep themselves hidden from everyone. Soon

afterwards the great ship came sailing in, and the godless woman

appeared before her father with a troubled countenance. He said,

why do you come back alone. Where is your husband. Ah, dear

father, she replied, I come home again in great grief. During

the voyage, my husband became suddenly ill and died, and if the

good skipper had not given me his help, it would have gone ill with

me. He was present at his death, and can tell you all. The king

said, I will make the dead alive again, and opened the chamber,

and bade the two come out. When the woman saw her husband, she

was thunderstruck, and fell on her knees and begged for mercy.

The king said, there is no mercy. He was ready to die with you

and restored you to life again, but you have murdered him in his

sleep, and shall receive the reward that you deserve. Then she was

placed with her accomplice in a ship which had been pierced with

holes, and sent out to sea, where they soon sank amid the waves.

A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom

through all the land. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed

as if news of the most secret things was brought to him through

the air. But he had a strange custom, every day after dinner,

when the table was cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty

servant had to bring him one more dish. It was covered, however,

and even the servant did not know what was in it, neither did

anyone know, for the king never took off the cover to eat of it

until he was quite alone.

This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who

took away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he

could not help carrying the dish into his room. When he had

carefully locked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a white

snake lying on the dish. But when he saw it he could not deny