and said: 

As I went out upon the errand whereunto thou hadst sent me forth,
I remembered thy commandment to obey it.  And I spake only unto
the bird which thou gavest me, and said unto him: 

There was a certain great king which held a people in bondage, and
set over them task-masters, and required of them all the bricks
that they could make, man for man, and day by day; 

For the king was in great haste seeking to build a palace which
should be greater and nobler than any in the world, and should
remain to himself and his children a testimony of his glory forever. 

And it came to pass, at length, that the king gave commandment that
no more straw should be given unto them that made the bricks, but
that they should still deliver the tale which had been aforetime
required of them. 

And thereupon the king's jester laughed.