THE KING (_roaring at him_). I said, Go! (THE SERVANT, _abashed,
goes out._) Forsooth, I fancy the fellow will stop his bawling
when I order him to. Forsooth, I fancy he will be pretty well
frightened when he hears that the king desires his presence. Ha,
ha, ha, ha!
THE SERVANT (_returning_). O king, here is the beggar.
(_A shambling creature hung in filthy rags follows_ THE SERVANT
_slowly into the royal chamber._)
THE KING. Ha! A magnificent sight, to be sure. Art thou the
beggar who has been crying aloud in the streets for bread?
THE BEGGAR (_in a faint voice, after a slight pause_). Art thou the
king?
THE KING. I am the king.
THE SERVANT (_aside to_ THE BEGGAR). It is not proper for a beggar
to ask a question of a king. Speak only as thou art spoken to.
THE KING (_to_ THE SERVANT). Do thou likewise. (_To_ THE BEGGAR) I
have ordered thee here to speak to thee concerning a very grave
matter. Thou art the beggar, I understand, who often cries aloud
in the streets for bread. Now, the complaint of thy voice annoys
me greatly. Therefore, do not beg any more.
THE BEGGAR (_faintly_). I--I do not understand.
THE KING. I said, do not beg any more.
THE BEGGAR. I--I do not understand.
THE SERVANT (_aside to_ THE BEGGAR). The king has commanded thee
not to beg for bread any more. The noise of thy voice is as
garbage in his ears.
THE KING (_to_ THE SERVANT). Ha! An excellent flower of speech. Pin
it in thy buttonhole. (_To_ THE BEGGAR) Thine ears, I see, are in
need of a bath even more than thy body. I said, _Do not beg any
more._
THE BEGGAR. I--I do not understand.
THE KING (_making a trumpet of his hands and shouting_). _DO NOT
BEG ANY MORE._
THE BEGGAR. I--I do not understand.
THE KING. Heavens! He is deafer than a stone wall.
THE SERVANT. O king, he cannot be deaf, for he understood me
quite easily when I spoke to him in the street.
THE KING (_to_ THE BEGGAR). Art thou deaf? Canst thou hear what I
am saying to thee now?
THE BEGGAR. Alas! I can hear every word perfectly.
THE KING. Fft! The impudence. Thy tongue shall be cut out for
this.
THE SERVANT. O king, to cut out his tongue is useless, for he
will grow another.
THE KING. No matter. It shall be cut out anyway. (_To_ THE BEGGAR)
I have ordered thee not to beg any more in the streets. What
meanest thou by saying thou dost not understand?
THE BEGGAR. The words of thy mouth I can hear perfectly. But
their noise is only a foolish tinkling in my ears.
THE KING. Fft! Only a--! A lash will tinkle thy hide for thee if
thou dost not cure thy tongue of impudence. I, thy king, have
ordered thee not to beg any more in the streets for bread.
Signify, therefore, that thou wilt obey the orders of thy king by
quickly touching thy forehead thrice to the floor.
THE BEGGAR. That is impossible.
THE SERVANT (_aside to_ THE BEGGAR). Come. It is not safe to tempt
the patience of the king too long. His patience is truly great,
but he loses it most wondrous quickly.
THE KING. Come, now: I have ordered thee to touch thy forehead to
the floor.
THE SERVANT (_nudging him_). And quickly.
THE BEGGAR. Wherefore should I touch my forehead to the floor?
THE KING. In order to seal thy promise to thy king.
THE BEGGAR. But I have made no promise. Neither have I any king.
THE KING. Ho! He has made no promise. Neither has he any king.
Ha, ha, ha. I have commanded thee not to beg any more, for the
sound of thy voice is grievous unto my ears. Touch thy forehead
now to the floor, as I have commanded thee, and thou shall go
from this palace a free man. Refuse, and thou wilt be sorry
before an hour that thy father ever came within twenty paces of
thy mother.
THE BEGGAR. I have ever lamented that he did. For to be born into
this world a beggar is a more unhappy thing than any that I
know--unless it is to be born a king.
THE KING. Fft! Thy tongue of a truth is too lively for thy
health. Come, now, touch thy forehead thrice to the floor and
promise solemnly that thou wilt never beg in the streets again.
And hurry!
THE SERVANT (_aside_). It is wise to do as thy king commands thee.
His patience is near an end.
THE KING. Do not be afraid to soil the floor with thy forehead. I
will graciously forgive thee for that.
(THE BEGGAR _stands motionless._)
THE SERVANT. I said, it is not wise to keep the king waiting.
(THE BEGGAR _does not move._)