Sings.
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 . . .