WHILE THE KING SLEPT
He was a young king, but an old subject, for he had been born and raised a subject, and became a king quite late in life, and unexpectedly.
When he was a subject he had admired and envied kings, and had often said to himself “If I were a king I would do this—and this.” And now that he was a king he did those things. But the things he did were those which came from the envy of subjects, not from the conscience of kings.
He lived in freedom and ease and pleasure, for he did not know that kings worked; much less how their work should be done. And whatever displeased him he made laws against, that it should not be done; and whatever pleased him he made laws for, that it should be done—for he thought kings need but to say the word and their will was accomplished.
Then when the things were not done, when his laws were broken and disregarded and made naught of, he did nothing; for he had not the pride of kings, and knew only the outer showing of their power.
And in his court and his country there flourished Sly Thieves and Gay Wantons and Bold Robbers; also Poisoners and Parasites and Impostors of every degree.
And when he was very angry he slew one and another; but there were many of them, springing like toadstools, so that his land became a scorn to other kings.
He was sensitive and angry when the old kings of the old kingdoms criticized his new kingdom. “They are envious of my new kingdom;” he said; for he thought his kingdom was new, because he was new to it.
Then arose friends and counsellors, many and more, and they gave him criticism and suggestion, blame, advice, and special instructions. Some he denied and some he neglected and some he laughed at and some he would not hear.
And when the Sly Thieves and Gay Wantons and Bold Robbers and Poisoners and Parasites and Imposters of every degree waxed fat before his eyes, and made gorgeous processions with banners before him, he said, “How prosperous my country is!”
Then his friends and counsellors showed him the prisons—overflowing; and the hospitals—overflowing; and the asylums—overflowing; and the schools—with not enough room for the children; and the churches—with not enough children for the room; and the Crime Mill, into which babies were poured by the hundreds every day, and out of which criminals were poured by the hundreds every day; and the Disease Garden, where we raise all diseases and distribute them gratis.
And he said “I am tired of looking at these things, and tired of hearing about them. Why do you forever set before me that which is unpleasant?”
And they said “Because you are the king. If you choose you can turn the empty churches into free schools, teaching Heaven Building. You can gradually empty the hospitals and asylums and prisons, and destroy the Crime Mill, and obliterate the Disease Garden.”
But the king said “You are dreamers and mad enthusiasts. These things are the order of nature and cannot be stopped. It was always so.” For the king had been a subject all his life, and was used to submission; he knew not the work of kings, nor how to do it.
And the false counsellors and the false friends and all the lying servants who stole from the kitchens and the chambers answered falsely when he asked them, and said, “These evils are the order of nature. Your kingdom is very prosperous.”
And the Sly Thieves and the Gay Wantons and the Bold Robbers and the Parasites and Poisoners and Impostors of every degree hung like leeches on the kingdom and bled it at every pore.
But the king was weary and slept.
Then the friends and counsellors went to the Queen, and called on her to learn Queen’s work, and do it; for the King slept.
“It is King’s work,” she said, and strove to waken him with tales of want and sorrow in his kingdom. But he sent her away, saying “I will sleep.”
“It is Queen’s work also,” they said to her; and though she had been a subject with her husband, she was more by nature a Queen. So she fell to and learned Queen’s work, and did it.
She had no patience with the Gay Wantons and Sly Thieves and Bold Robbers; and the Poisoners and the Parasites and the Impostors of every degree were a horror to her. The false friends she saw through, and the lying servants she disbelieved.
Since the king would not, she would; and when at last he woke, behold, the throne was a double one, and the kingdom smiled and rejoiced from sea to sea.
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