Anna and the King Page #3

should bring me

the price oftheir freedom?

Am l bound to serve myself?

That would be most unfortunate,

my august mistress.

This is a pauper's ring!

Why did you intervene?

My conscience demanded it.

And boys' fisticuffs?

l beg your pardon?

l suppose, since you must be

both mother and father to son,

tendency to overprotect is strong.

Louis can fend for himself, Your Majesty.

lt was your son l was protecting.

Thank you for the supper.

Although l do not think it was necessary.

l know my son.

You would still be there.

Perhaps.

But then my point would have been made,

Your Majesty, not yours.

- l am king.

- Yes.

And l am his schoolteacher.

Which lesson do you think he learnt?

To respect his classmates

or to fear his father?

Husband must have been

very understanding.

My husband was never threatened

by my ideas or my opinions.

And because l am also such

l will allow you to always

stand upright in my presence,

providing head shall

never be higher than mine.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

l believe there has been enough insult

caused by this woman,

who believes herself

to be the equal of a man.

Not the equal of a man, Chao Phya.

The equal of a king.

l make this for you tomorrow.

Why, thank you, Fa-Ying. lt's beautiful.

These are monkeys at summer palace.

And this must be you.

l shall hang it on my wall at home.

l will make another for you yesterday.

Then l shall wait for it tomorrow.

- Lady Thiang.

- Good morning, Mem Leonowens.

This is Lady Tuptim.

She's new in palace, also like yourself.

l wish also to learn writing of English to...

to please His Majesty King Mongkut.

Yes, well, certainly.

But l should hope that

it would please Lady Tuptim as well.

And this is for you.

Make sure all ofyour books are open.

Who knows the next letter

in the alphabet after E?

- F.

- F.

Who can tell me which words start with F?

Fa-Ying loves the river.

Yes, she told me

all about herjourney to Ayudhya.

How it is the center ofthe universe.

lt is home to ancient ones

and their many legends.

l told her in England we have Camelot.

And a big round table.

Yes, that's right.

Everyone should have legends, l think.

lt allows us to dream.

You're an interesting mix

of fact and fancy, mem.

l suppose it's because

l'm always surrounded by children.

Teaching the young

is fulfilling endeavorment.

l didn't have a choice really.

Buddhists believe all life is suffering.

Take away pain of husband's death...

takes away mem's chance to grow.

- We might have preferred a different lesson.

- Yes.

But unique opportunity to change world

would have passed to someone else.

Louis. Do try and stay in the boat, darling.

He asked about your flag and the significance

of the white elephant. l had no answer.

Louis Leonowens!

Yes, Your Majesty?

l am teacher now.

The flag of Siam.

- Red is for?

- Courage.

- White?

- Compassion.

The white elephant is Siam's

most rare and honored creature.

Perhaps on journey to rice festival

we will all see one.

Rice festival?

Mother!

Mother, look!

There's Moonshee and Beebe!

l trust you will find ample space

for engaging in English traditions.

Even for growing of roses.

Out of curiosity,

is this because of our agreement

or are you simply trying to get rid of me?

Yes.

A little soap and water,

and we will have a fine house, mem.

Shall l make us some tea?

Yes. That would be lovely.

l remember my first rice festival.

People come from everywhere to see king.

He bless all crops, and it begin to rain.

l think he was a god.

And now?

He is also a man.

l feel very fortunate that we're invited.

One cannot see Siam's beauty

living in Bangkok, mem.

The mountains are so green and the skies

are more blue than even your eyes.

l must find Louis.

Louis!

- May l ask a favor, mem?

- Yes, certainly.

To send this.

l wish family to know

how happy l am here with king.

l'll tell Moonshee

to find a messenger straight away.

Mem...

May l ask a question?

Yes.

How did husband die?

ln my arms, actually.

How did mem survive?

Just as you will.

One awful day at a time.

Mem sha, Louis is teasing me.

He say in England coldness

fall from sky like tiny feathers.

Why would l lie about snow?

Please, mem, it is too hot.

Can make some now?

Just because your father can make it rain

doesn't mean l can make it snow.

At last l discover her limitations.

l have many, Your Majesty.

Father, will you make it snow, please?

Even for you, l cannot.

But l've seen photographs

of such phenomenon.

Blankets of it... up to here!

Louis... Smoke?

Me? Jolly good!

No. No!

But, Mother, he's the king.

My father smoked too.

Yes, but your father had already

achieved his full height.

l have been smoking since age six.

And some believe me

to be a giant among men.

Yes. ln intelligence

as well as stature, Your Majesty.

Which is why, Louis,

l'm sure His Majesty was only teasing.

l believe now is good time for all children

to spread amazing concept of snow

to cool off court. Yes?

Yes!

l simply meant to open conversation

in controversial fashion

mem is so fond of.

l do have my opinions,

but they're merely that.

l wish to compliment you for enlightening

children to open minds and taste life.

However,

at this time

l shall not offer cigar to your son

and you shall not teach this book to mine.

Chulalongkorn has many questions, but one

cannot plow new fields in Siam overnight.

l understand, Your Majesty.

Honestly, Louis.

l leave you alone for five minutes...

lt was his idea.

Just because Prince Chulalongkorn jumps off

a bridge doesn't mean you must as well.

How can anyone smoke those things?

Your father certainly enjoyed them.

ls that why you like him?

The king, l mean.

Because he reminds you of Father?

l think that cigar

has clouded your brain, young man.

Go on. Go to sleep.

You drag me out at night

and turn down five pounds a bushel?!

- French offer seven!

- What is the matter with you people?!

You seem to have a very high opinion

of the quality ofyour produce!

That is the best price you're gonna get!

l'm not gonna offer any more!

What are we waiting for?

The Englishman must not be harmed.

No one knows where

these death squads will strike next.

Then we must strike back

and with twice the venom!

Strike who, my brother?

The enemy still has no form.

Loyalists to Your Majesty

are strung up to rot.

Merchants who reject British traders

are murdered in their homes.

England may hide

behind Burmese assassins

but the stench is still British!

One of us is wrong about the British.

l will assemble the Officers at once.

No.

lf you are right about the British,

this war cannot be won on a battlefield.

Your Majesty,

if we do not stop

these colonial predators,

who will?

Now, we all know that this egg

will never fit into this bottle.

lt's a fact. lt's the truth.

And we rely on truth

to make judgments, don't we?

What if ourjudgment is wrong, even when

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