He was a compassionate leader, a literate and well-read man, able to speak and write several languages, and a great storyteller. While the collection of stories he had amassed over the years was truly impressive, it is generally agreed that the following was likely his best. It is also believed to be the last tale he spun, for after he told this to his men, he was found dead the next day, murdered by poison.

As recounted by two of his men, Daniel and Noah, here is his final tale:

“One day, many years ago, I awoke from a deep, dark sleep under the light of a full moon.
Staring up into the sky, I noticed a new constellation in the shape of a dolphin.
It appeared to be engaged in a deathly struggle with a great and terrible snake.
Suddenly, the combatants tumbled out of the sky, trailing a mighty tail of fire.
Racing after them, I searched about for a weapon, finding only a simple thorn.
I reached the battlefield, horrified to see the snake ready to gut the dolphin with a fell hook.
But before I could cry out, the dolphin snorted and suddenly the snake was imprisoned within a starfire shell.
‘How can this all be,’ I asked the celestial dolphin. ‘What do you expect,’ it replied, ‘when you overindulge in the nectar of the grapes.’”