The Tale of Elli of the Land of Not

Long ago, in a time when enormous beasts still roamed the earth, there lived a young person named Elli in the land of Not. Everyone knew Elli as the strongest and bravest in the whole country. Yet Elli did not go about picking fights or showing off, for truly strong people have nothing to prove. Instead, Elli worked in the fields, cared for the fruit trees, and lived a quiet and peaceful life.One morning, just as the sun was rising, there came a loud knock at the door. When Elli opened it, a royal messenger stood there holding a letter sealed with the king’s mark. The message commanded Elli to come to the palace at once.Elli did not know why the king wished to see them, but a royal command is never ignored. And so, before long, Elli stood in the great throne room and bowed respectfully.The king looked at Elli for a long moment and then said,“People tell me you are the strongest person in our land. Recently, a king from a distant country visited me. We spoke of our kingdoms, and before we knew it, our talk turned into boasting. Each of us tried to outdo the other, until our pride led us too far.