Tales out of school

by Frank R. Stockton

This is the kingdom of Siam in Southern Asia. It has this name because the white elephant is the national emblem, and is represented on the Siamese flag, as the eagle is on the American flag.

Siam is a very pleasant country to live in, and a good many Europeans have from time to time had their homes there, so that the Siamese, who seem to be a teachable people, have learned a great deal from them, and have copied some of their ways. The missionaries, too, have done very much to improve the manners and customs of the Siamese. But still they retain many of their old customs, and the result is a queer sort of mixture—in some things the people show themselves to be manly and intelligent, and, in others, they appear very ignorant, and degraded.

For instance, a fine-looking Siamese gentleman will be standing by your side, conversing with you. He is a nobleman of the country, dressed in silk and diamonds. He will talk with you about foreign countries, perhaps about books, and you will be astonished at his information, and will regard him as a very superior man; as, indeed, he is. But suddenly, he will go down on his hands and knees, right in the dust. What has happened? The King has appeared upon the scene! If he wishes to speak to the king this nobleman will crawl up to him on all fours, and, as long as he is in the king’s presence, if it is for two or three hours, he remains in this degrading position. The king may be a very well-informed, and a kind-hearted man, but it has never occurred to him that this old custom of his country is ridiculous and disgraceful.

The Siamese are very fond of ornament. On the next page is a portrait of one of the little princes of the royal family.

A SIAMESE PRINCE.

His silken suit is covered with gold and silver embroidery, and with rows of precious stones. I hope that high pointed affair he has upon his head is not very heavy. It would be a very inconvenient thing to take off when he wished to make a bow to a lady. But then he never does wish to make a bow to a lady. That is a piece of good manners that no Siamese boy is ever taught.

When this young prince has his meals his attendants crouch before him on their hands and knees. When he wishes anything they crawl towards him with the articles. To stand erect in his presence would be an unheard of impropriety.

When he goes out for an airing he rides upon an elephant. Perhaps you think that would not be a very agreeable way of traveling, but there you are mistaken. The motion of an elephant is very easy, and pleasant to the rider; and it is a much more intelligent animal than the horse, and quite as gentle, and docile. A little child can lead a well-trained, tame elephant. The disadvantage of this kind of steed is that when it does take it into its great head to behave badly, it is sometimes very difficult to control, for it is exceedingly strong, and capable of doing a great deal of mischief. But these trained elephants of the Siamese seldom get into tantrums.

When the young prince takes his ride he has, at least, one attendant to walk by the elephant, and keep things all straight. The prince sits in a little ornamental tower on the beast’s back. From this lofty seat he gets a good view of the surrounding country.