Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon

Author:Margaret Landon
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781504038553
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2016-08-23T04:00:00+00:00

24

THE KING’S BIRTHDAY

It was a rainy afternoon in the middle of October. School was in full swing when a small page came to the Temple of the Mothers of the Free for Anna. “His Majesty orders the Mem to come at once to the Audience Hall. Something has happened.”

Anna was annoyed at having to drop her school books in the middle of a lesson, but there was no choice. She snatched her umbrella and hurried off through the storm. When she reached the Audience Hall she was half drenched. The King seemed to be abnormally excited and incoherent. He was marching up and down with rapid angry steps, shrieking in a shrill and exasperated voice, “Eighteenth of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-three! Eighteen hundred and sixty-three!”

When he reached the far end of the hall he would about-face in a sudden bound and come leaping toward Anna with the same cry. She stood bewildered. Had he taken leave of his senses at last as she had feared that he some day must from the excess of rage that shook him so frequently? He paid no attention to her entry, but continued his curious march for almost half an hour, leaping and bounding up and down the hall, and shrieking again and again, “Eighteenth of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-three! Eighteenth of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-three!” She was perplexed and half afraid of the seeming lunatic before her, uncertain whether to run or to wait his pleasure. To her further confusion he then sprang close to her and screamed, “Mem, do you understand the meaning of the word ‘agility’?”

She replied coolly, “Your Majesty has been giving me a very practical illustration of the word.”

“Aye, aye!” laughed the King. “It is true, very true. You understand the English word ‘agility.’” Then with a return to his previous mood of wrath, “On the eighteenth of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, I shall be fifty-nine years old. And you can see that I am as young and as strong as ever!” He waved a newspaper clipping under her astonished nose. “But certain American missionaries have published a statement about me in an English newspaper, and have said that I am a ‘spare man.’ How can I be a spare man? A King cannot be a spare man. How can I be spared from my kingdom? Who can fill my place? I ask you that? Who can fill my place?” And he resumed his infuriated march.

Anna shook with silent laughter. “But, Your Majesty,” she protested to his retreating back, “the word ‘spare’ has two meanings. One of them is ‘extra,’ but the other one is ‘thin.’ All the missionaries meant to say was that you are a thin man, and not that you are superannuated and unnecessary, as you have interpreted it.” Anger had stopped his ears to reason, and no matter how much she tried to explain he refused to be cajoled into listening.

“I will prove it I am not a spare man,” he shouted, drowning out her explanations.

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