Anna and the King of Siam Page #6

when the king of Siam...

upholds his wife when she chooses

to disobey the law.

I am the law here, as people

can discover if not discreet.

I'm sorry to hear you say that,

Your Majesty...

because it goes against everything

I thought you wanted for your country.

How shall you know

what I want for my country?

I know you want it to progress...

to take its place among

the other nations of the world.

You made this law yourself...

but if you put your own will

above the laws you make, you'll fail.

Other countries

won't trust a nation...

where a man can put himself

above the law.

Everything might change

with your successor.

Siam's word,

her treaties with them...

would be good

only as long as you live.

I do not like this talk

about successor.

Why must you make entire household

in uproar over one slave?

I ask you to remember,

there are 3,000 women in household.

3,000 women

can be very much uproar.

And how shall I do work which is

necessary when there is so much uproar?

But this is more important,

Your Majesty.

The progress you want isn't

a matter of customs or manners.

It's the spirit behind those things.

It's... It's recognizing that every

living person is an individual...

with the same right to liberty

and justice under the law...

so that he can make as much

as he's willing to make of his life.

Your law began to give

your people that right...

but a law must be the same

for everyone...

for slave just as much as for king.

Consider Her Gracious

Majesty Victoria...

queen of the United Kingdom

of Great Britain and Ireland...

and powerful sovereign of British colonies

around globe of human world...

and our most affectionate sister.

- Is she not above the law?

- No, Your Majesty.

My country may have many faults,

but her laws are the same for all.

And in the United States,

their president Mr. Lincoln...

is fighting a war

for the same principle.

Ah. This sounds like progress

in America pretty bloody.

Sometimes you have to fight

for what you believe in.

Who shall this Mr. Lincoln be?

Is he king of this United States?

- He is their president.

- What is this "president"? I do not understand.

It means he was elected.

That means he was chosen by the people

by a vote to lead them.

I do not think I like this.

Shall he be winning this war?

No one knows, Your Majesty.

And how shall he be trained to rule

if he is not born to do so?

But he doesn't rule them.

He only sees that the laws

they make themselves are carried out.

And I believe he studied very hard.

He educated himself.

This very difficult thing.

I know of sad experience.

I teach myself English

and other language.

In this respect,

Mr. Lincoln and I much alike.

He said something

about progress once...

when he was speaking

at a school.

He said he was afraid

we were inclined...

to accept as wisdom

what is only knowledge...

and to accept as progress things

that are nothing more than change.

He said true progress...

must bear some relation

to man's character.

It must have its roots in his heart.

I think I like this Mr. Lincoln.

Why is he not winning

this war of his?

Has he not got enough guns and elephants

for transporting same?

There are no elephants in America.

- No elephants?

- No, Your Majesty.

Ah. No wonder Mr. Lincoln

does not win war.

- We will write letter to Mr. Lincoln.

- Now, Your Majesty?

Now... when you think?

Now always best time.

But I wanted to talk to you

about the slave woman...

- Take letter to Mr. Lincoln.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

By the blessing of the highest

superagency of the whole universe...

king of Siam, sovereign

of all interior tributary countries...

adjacent and around

in every direction...

uh, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

To his most respected excellent...

To his most respected

excellent presidency.

President of

the United States of America...

it has occurred to us...

it has occurred to us...

that should there be several pairs

of young male elephants...

turned loose in forests of America...

we are of opinion that after a while

they will increase in numbers...

- and inhabitants of...

- Your Majesty.

- Well?

- I don't think you mean

pairs of male elephants.

Do not interrupt.

And inhabitants of America

will be able to catch them...

and tame them

and use them as beasts of...

- Your Majesty.

- How can I think...

Only male elephants?

Hmm. Hmm.

We, on our part, will procure

young male and female elephants...

and forward them unto you

one or two pairs at a time.

Believe me.

Yours faithfully,

uh, et cetera, et cetera.

That is all. You may go.

But, Your Majesty, I had hoped

you'd talk about the slave woman.

That is all. Good day, Mem Owens.

Good day, Your Majesty.

"True progress...

shall lie in man's heart."

Good morning, Lady Tuptim.

I wish to show you

something very beautiful.

Oh, how lovely.

My name mean "pomegranate."

He say I am most perfect

and fascinating woman in palace.

- It's a beautiful gift.

- It is worth thousand times price of slave.

Then the slave is free?

She mean nothing to me now.

I do not wish to see her again.

It was very generous of you,

Lady Tuptim.

Perhaps it means much more

than you realize.

- You did not know this... that she is free?

- No.

It is strange he did not tell you this.

He didn't give me any answer at all.

I thought...

Then you did talk to him.

And it is you he listened to.

If I am not first here,

what is left for me?

"I appreciate most highly...

"Your Majesty's tender of good offices...

"in forwarding to this government...

"a stock from which

a supply of elephants...

"might be raised on our own soil.

But, unfortunately, the present

jurisdiction of this government...'

- "Jurisdiction"?

- It means authority.

Jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction.

"The present jurisdiction

of this government...

"no longer reaches those latitudes

southerly enough...

"to favor the multiplication

of the elephant.

'But this nation is warmly grateful...

'for this indication

of Your Majesty's friendship...

"and commends both Your Majesty...

"and the generous people of Siam...

"to the blessings of almighty God.

Your good friend,

Abraham Lincoln.'

Yes, I think I like this Mr. Lincoln.

Jurisdiction. Jurisdiction.

But no elephants.

I thought the prince might like

to come to lunch, but he didn't.

I think he's lonesome. He doesn't

even live with his mother or talk to her.

It's almost as if he didn't have a mother.

Why is that?

That's just the way

things are out here, dear.

I've noticed he hasn't seemed

quite so interested in his school.

Probably something on his mind.

I'll have to find time to talk to him.

Mem. Uh, mem.

His Majesty wish

that you come to him at once.

But we're just beginning luncheon.

His Majesty say

you shall come right now.

Oh, dear.

Mem, shall it be proper for English

dignitary to see some of our women?

Well, if Your Majesty were in England,

you'd wish to see...

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