/*
We are all Kings in the kingdom of our King.
Were it not so, how could we hope in our heart to meet him!
We do what we like, yet we do what he likes;
We are not bound with the chain of fear at the feet of a slave-
owning King.
Were it not so, how could we hope in our heart to meet him!
Our King honours each one of us, thus honours his own very
self.
No littleness can keep us shut up in its walls of untruth for
aye.
Were it not so, how could we have hope in our heart to meet
him!
We struggle and dig our own path, thus reach his path at the
end.
We can never get lost in the abyss of dark night.
Were it not so, how could we hope in our heart to meet him!
*/
THIRD CITIZEN. But, really, I cannot stand the absurd things
people say about our King simply because he is not seen in
public.
FIRST CITIZEN. Just fancy! Any one libelling me can be
punished, while nobody can stop the mouth of any rascal who
chooses to slander the King.
GRANDFATHER. The slander cannot touch the King. With a mere
breath you can blow out the flame which a lamp inherits from the
sun, but if all the world blow upon the sun itself its effulgence
remains undimmed and unimpaired as before.
[Enter VISHVAVASU and VIRUPAKSHA]
VISHU. Here's Grandfather! Look here, this man is going about
telling everybody that our King does not come out because he is
ugly.
GRANDFATHER. But why does that make you angry, Vishu? His King
must be ugly, because how else could Virupaksha possess such
features in his kingdom? He fashions his King after the image of
himself he sees in the mirror.
VIRUPAKSHA. Grandfather, I shall mention no names, but nobody
would think of disbelieving the person who gave me the news.
GRANDFATHER. Who could be a higher authority than yourself!
VIRUPAKSHA. But I could give you proofs ...
FIRST CITIZEN. The impudence of this fellow knows no bounds!
Not content with spreading a ghastly rumour with an unabashed
face, he offers to measure his lies with insolence!
SECOND CITIZEN. Why not make him measure his length on the
ground?
GRANDFATHER. Why so much heat, my friends? The poor fellow is
going to have his own festive day by singing the ugliness of his
King. Go along, Virupaksha, you will find plenty of people ready
to believe you: may you be happy in their company.[Exeunt.]
[Re-enter the party of FOREIGNERS]
BHAVADATTA. It strikes me, Kaundilya, that these people haven't
got a King at all. They have somehow managed to keep the rumour
afloat.
KAUNDILYA. You are right, I think. We all know that the supreme
thing that strikes one's eye in any country is the King, who of
course loses no opportunity of exhibiting himself.
JANARDAN. But look at the nice order and regularity prevailing
all over the place--how do you explain it without a King?
BHAVADATTA. So this is the wisdom you have arrived at by living
so long under a ruler! Where would be the necessity of having a
King if order and harmony existed already?
JANARDAN. All these people have assembled to rejoice at this
festival. Do you think they could come together like this in a
country of anarchy?
BHAVADATTA. My dear Janardan, you are evading the real issue, as
usual. There can be no question about the order and regularity,
and the festive rejoicing too is plain enough: there is no
difficulty so far. But where is the King? Have you seen him?
Just tell us that.
JANARDAN. What I want to say is this: you know from your
experience that there can be chaos and anarchy even if a King be
present: but what do we see here?
KAUNDILYA. You are always coming back to your quibbling. Why
can you not give a straight answer to Bhavadatta's question--Have
you, or have you not, seen the King? Yes or no? [Exeunt.]
[Enter a band of MEN, singing]