Anna and the King of Siam Page #4

as you allow yourself, my friend.

If only we had more time.

- She's got someone else at it.

- She?

That woman and her house!

Stop it!

Take a lesson from her, my friend...

and you'll never give up on anything.

- Give her a house.

- But...

Give her a house! If she was meant

to be a sign to us, she deserves a reward.

And if she wasn't, well,

give her a house anyway...

before she drives me out of my mind!

- Very nice.

- Yes, mem.

No fish here.

No fish.

You like it?

I could be quite comfortable here.

It is, of course, our wish that mem

shall be perfectly satisfied.

Oh, I am perfectly,

Your Excellency.

I said I'd get a house, and I got it...

but now you may go to the king

and tell him he can have it back.

I wouldn't live in it

if it had a roof made of rubies.

And you can tell him

something else too.

I wouldn't live in a country where

promises mean nothing, simply nothing.

I won't stay in Siam

a minute longer than I have to...

not if he gave me the whole palace

to live in all by myself.

Good day, Your Excellency.

I'll find out what time we sail.

I think we can go aboard ship

the first thing in the morning.

If Louis wakes up,

tell him I'll be back soon.

Yes, memsahib.

How dare you treat me

in this manner?

I demand an explanation,

and I warn you...

- Be quiet, sir.

- That I'm a British subject.

That is not reason you are safe.

I could have you killed if that would serve

my purpose. Such things are simple here.

Sir, did you enjoy your triumph

about your house?

'Cause you shall now

enjoy greater triumph.

I have something to ask of you...

not demand, but ask.

It is that you shall stay in Siam.

You may enjoy yourself if you like, sir.

No matter what you asked,

I wouldn't do it.

- If you do not stay in Siam, where will you go?

- I don't know.

- Have you other place to put your life?

- What has that to do with you?

- Have you, sir?

- Please stop calling me "sir"!

I call you sir so you will not

be lowly like a woman...

but you continue to talk like a woman,

I no longer call you sir.

You think now you are nothing here...

but that could be different.

How could it be as long as the king...

can change his mind

from one day to another?

- The king is not ordinary man.

- Indeed he isn't.

- He is lonely man.

- Lonely!

Mem, I have watched you.

I think there is need here for you.

I think you know what is truth

about many things.

I know you have courage to speak it.

The king has no one near him like you.

He has many wives,

but they cannot help him.

You can speak with him as a woman

where they cannot.

And he will listen to you, because he will know

you do not seek something for yourself.

Indeed I wouldn't, least of all the chance

to revolve around him.

- He doesn't need help.

- Mem, why you not see?

Why?

He is two men!

One part of him is king,

like his father was.

Other part tries to be man

of new world...

scientific man who desires to learn

all modern things to save his country.

But greedy men of Europe

are at our door.

They say Siam is barbaric land...

and so must be ruled by them.

So king must learn

all modern things now.

He tries work too big for any man,

with no one to help.

His own people are his enemies.

They do not want change.

And sometimes

inside himself is enemy...

that cannot change.

Mem, are you blind?

Have you no eyes to see?

He does not live

coldly with mind as I do.

But with heart.

With heart, mem, as king must...

and so is torn in two within himself.

And to whom can he turn?

Whom can he trust?

He is very lonely man...

and very strange man.

Yet for him, I would die.

I'm...

I'm afraid I haven't been

very understanding.

Mem, I cannot promise that

it will ever be easy for you.

We have proverb here...

"Go up by land, and you meet tiger.

Go down by water,

and you meet crocodile.'

But for you,

it will be place to put your life.

"Your Majesty once suggested that I might

possibly be of some slight help to him...

with his correspondence

and in the translation of..."

Ah! Alak, take letter.

To Mrs. A. Owens, by our gracious consent,

governess of the court of Siam...

uh, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Dear mem, I have your letter...

in which you make offer

of assistance.

In reply, beg to state...

you were engaged for teaching school,

not otherwise.

I think you shall ask yourself...

are your scholars now interested

in facility of language...

more than certain songs

and proverbs concerning houses?

This seems to be

definitely no answer.

Do you speak English?

My family speaks some English

a long time.

- What is your name?

- Tuptim.

He's very amusing, but none of us

can do any work while he's here.

You'd better take him outside

until school is over.

He will be good, mem.

He's really very clever,

but I cannot allow him to stay.

Take him out now, Tuptim.

If he make people to laugh

in this dull palace, that is good.

I don't want to make a report of this

to His Majesty.

His Majesty give him to me.

But not to bring to school.

Go to the king... if you like.

Mem...

do not make quarrel

with new favorite of the king.

- You will lose.

- Tuptim?

Let's get on with our work now, please.

We've lost enough time.

Mem, there is thing in this book

I do not believe.

What is it, Prince Chulalongkorn?

It shows world like round ball...

that spins on stick through middle...

and everyone knows that world

rests on back of great turtle...

who keeps it from running into stars.

- Where did you get the book?

- I gave it to him.

- But you shouldn't without asking me.

- I'm sorry.

There are many stories about the world,

Your Royal Highness.

When we're further along

with our studies...

I shall try and explain them to you.

But for the present,

I think we'd better stick to our letters.

But I know all my letters, mem.

Quiet, please!

I know that you

are very quick to learn...

and I shall do all I can

to help you...

but for the present,

I wish you to recite with the class.

Oh. You wanted to see me,

Lady Thiang?

Yes, sir.

I'm glad you stayed. I wanted to thank you

for warning me about Tuptim.

Yes, sir.

I don't quite understand

about Tuptim being the favorite.

I thought that Lady Son Klin...

Why you think

Lady Son Klin not here?

- Oh, I thought perhaps she was ill or...

- She in prison.

But what for?

Because she gamble too much,

which is law...

but she do not

go to prison for this...

if she is still favorite.

- Is there anything we can do?

- She is young.

She will become

used to such things.

I will help her

when this can be done...

but it is hard.

I not in favor with my lord.

- Oh?

- Not for long time.

My lord's table...

I taste food there, that is all.

- For fear of poison?

- Yes, sir.

Guard my lord, that is all.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

- No, sir.

No, not for me, sorry.

I Chow Chom Manda,

mother royal prince.

Prince Chulalongkorn?

Yes, sir. Yes. My little boy.

- You like little boy?

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