FullReads

THE MAID.
Yes, it must be interesting to travel.

THE GYPSY.
( brought down to earth )

Forgive me, child. Do you know, you are very like the King.
That is just what he would have said.

THE MAID
( pleased )

Is it?

THE GYPSY.
Word for word. You are the feminine counterpart of your ruler.
What a pity you cannot help him manage his kingdom!

THE MAID.
Hush! Here he comes now! And she is with him!

They rise respectfully. The King enters, followed by the Princess of Basque.

THE KING.
We can conduct our conversation better in here.

( To the others )

Leave us.

THE GYPSY.
Yes, your majesty.

They go out.

THE KING.
Pray be seated, madam.

THE PRINCESS.
In your majesty’s presence?

THE KING.
I will sit down too. We will sit here together.
It is unconventional, but–there is no one to see. Please!

He takes her by the hand and conducts her up

the dais to the wide seat. He seats himself beside her.

THE PRINCESS.
It is very kind of your majesty to give so much
of your time to a troublesome girl.

THE KING.
I confess that I find it a pleasure to converse with you.
It is a relief from the burden of my royal responsibilities.

THE PRINCESS.
I did not know that a king had responsibilities.
I thought he stood above such things.

THE KING.
My responsibilities are many and grave.

THE PRINCESS.
Yes. What are they?

THE KING.
It would take too long to enumerate them in detail.
Suffice it to say that the happiness of a whole people depends on me.

THE PRINCESS.
The happiness of a whole people…. That means: merchants–and clerks–and–

THE KING.
And bricklayers. Yes, and truck drivers. They look to me for their happiness.

THE PRINCESS.
In what does the happiness of a truck driver consist, O King?

THE KING.
I am not sure. But I am going to appoint a royal
commission to find out for me.

THE PRINCESS.
I can tell you now. The happiness of a truck driver consists in drinking beer with his friends at the tavern in the evening, and taking his sweetheart out to see the royal menagerie on Sunday afternoon. And do you know how you can best sub serve that happiness, O King? By letting him alone, to drink his beer, and make love to his sweetheart.

THE KING.
You are wrong. You must be wrong. If the happiness of a people were as simple as that, there would be no need of governments and kings to promote it.

THE PRINCESS.
Be thankful, O King, that they do not know that–and that they like to have kings and queens, to whom they give, in their generosity, palaces and horses and–and silken chemises from Astrakhan! Why not enjoy the gifts we have, as the truck driver enjoys his beer and his sweetheart? Let us each have our brief flash of happiness in the sun, O King!

THE KING.
Your philosophy is the deadly enemy of mine.

THE PRINCESS.
And must we be enemies of each other, too?

THE KING.
Never, madam. Let us be friends in spite of our opinions.