'Of course,' spoke he when they came to tell him of the large influx, 'how could it possibly be otherwise?'
The father-part sang a jolly ditty and the mother, enchanting in her new lace underwear, came to ask the king whether a freshly bought posy of roses in her hair honestly didn't look peculiar.
At the stroke of eight the curtain went up.
The king was sitting in one of the last rows of the stalls, which were full to bursting, and he had to crane his neck in order to see the stage.
Once again, the lovers spoke intensely of marriage and faithfulness, the father arrived to make his clod-hopper comments and the tender mother wept so touchingly that the audience was much moved.
Tension mounted as the moment of the king's appearance approached.
'Oh, behold: the king,' cried suddenly the mother-part and at that moment the star stepped out from the gloom.
It was an impressive moment.
Calmly, he proceeded forwards, lips clenched.
'Odious creatures is what you've got to say,' thought the king. 'He's not saying anything; drink has put him off his stroke! He has forgotten his part.'
But a moment later he understood why the artist had kept silent.
He allowed the audience to complete their jubilations, did not bow, made no move, but waited, his face a tense mask.
Then, in the silence that followed the impudent clamour, the tightly clenched lips suddenly tore apart. The words 'Odious creatures!' he cried out with mighty roar and his eyes glinted wildly.
Then it went quiet again.
The king bent far forwards. His gaze burned on to the king of the stage, he kept his eyes wide open and he cupped his hands to his ears.
He saw Karel de Man's wrath mount, heard the slow swelling of his voice to a roar, followed with eager eyes the broad gestures, saw the gathering of the faded, red cloths that looked in the distance like velvet wings, shook his head in time with the king's thudding paces and trembled at the sight of his glittering pupils.
The actor had turned into an entirely different being.
His voice sounded rich and dark, his words were of a different construction than in ordinary life.
He did not say single is but rolled them instead, and of the n's he did not forget a single one. The r-become-r's gave a special expansiveness to the words, it rendered them more difficult to say and by this an effect was achieved as if each syllable had been carefully considered.
The s's hissed into the auditorium, the T had a sharp, penetrating sound. The 'a' sped forth from a wide-open mouth and for the letter 'o' he pursed his lips to a little tube.
The king repeated the words after him and attempted to imitate the facial gymnastics, but a young lady sitting next to him forbade it in an angry voice.
The audience sat listening with bated breath.
The king saw how the monarch became steadily more angry on stage. At first, it was only his voice providing the anger, but in due course everything about his body began to betray his unbridled temper. The eyebrows joined and parted brusquely; the nostrils billowed out as though they were elastic; the lips shrank, rounded, tensed; the chin hopped forward and cowered, while the twinkling fingers interpreted the fierce rushes of emotion. The cloak shrivelled, widened out, billowed and hung down straight as the sound of the words demanded. The legs of the actor arched and stretched. The feet moved rhythmically.
Now on tip-toe, then stomping his heels, the indignant king made his way across the boards. His beard waved wildly about his face and the hair danced above his eyes.
It was a terribly tiring job to follow all the gestures but the king did not miss a single one. He saw rivulets of moisture running down the actor's face and heard how the audience murmured approvingly as the colours melted and merged on the mobile countenance.
Women pressed their handkerchiefs to their mouths, men moved their heads, nodding, and on all faces he read admiration.
When the king had spoken his proudest words, the curtain came down but it had to rise at once again.
Loud cheering resounded throughout the auditorium.
'Oh, what a king!' they cried and a sobbing young lady shouted: 'Ecstasy!'
The king was left staring gloomily ahead of himself. He had seen how the governor of the province had risen to applaud the artiste, that the mayor was beside himself with admiration and that many dignitaries were still nodding satisfaction, long after the curtain had come down.
'So this is majesty? he thought. 'Is this the way my people want their king to And will I ever be able to learn this, what is thought to be fine and regal? I tire quickly, I have never bothered with gymnastics and my mouth is much smaller than this man's.'
Then he heard a nice young girl say: 'This one's quite different from that creep yesterday! He is the spitting image of the king He really could pass for his brother.'
'Indeed,' agreed a neighbour.
This surprised the king highly, and with longing he awaited the second act to see this curious likeness for himself.
The second act, too, enraptured the audience to great admiration but only in the third did enthusiasm rise properly to its peak.
In the final scenes, the actor gave himself completely. His glorious delivery sounded as tireless as at the beginning, his hair whirled wildly around his head, he made the robe wave about like the gown of a belly-dancer and he twisted his body into many contortions.
'Delicious! Masterly!' were the cries.
The rolling r's, the penetrating i's and the clear a's were of wondrous effect.
'God save the king!' cried many in the galleries, and when the play had ended, people were loath to leave the auditorium.
'Well7' asked De Man, when the king entered the dressing room. 'Have you now seen what a king is?'
'It was an overwhelming success,' said the king, 'but forgive me for daring to make an observation. Weren't your movements a touch frantic for a dignified prince?'
The actor laughed: 'Are you now trying to teach me how a king behaves?!'
And to the fat father, ridding himself huffing and puffing of his stockings, he said: 'The man hasn't the slightest notion of physical expression! What did you think of it?'
I always think it's tremendous!' was the reply, but the father could say no more for a servant was just bringing in the platter with one of his favourite dishes.
Now many people in fine gala attire came to pay the artist their respects. In the foul-smelling room, past bowls of dirty water in which floated thick tufts of hair, they moved about with relish.
Modestly, the king retired behind a curtain and heard one of the gentlemen, in whom, by his voice, he recognised the governor of the province at once, say with conviction: 'Mr De Man, Sir, you are a splendid being! You could even teach our king a lesson or two.'
Then the king removed himself.
Once outside, he hastened his step.
The cold of night did not bother him. A lovely warm feeling had taken possession of him. He could have sung with joy.
Far outside of town, he turned round. He raised his hands high, and proudly his voice resounded: 'Starrrs, shine down on thy king forrr whom the mysterrry has been solved.'
The stars twinkled in the sky. The cows lowed in the fields.
Proud, he made his regal progress to his palace.
The guards at the gilded gate did not recognise him at once, so strange was his bearing, and in the marble corridors the lavishly gold-adorned footmen stared at him in great surprise.
It seemed as if the king had grown larger. The indifference had vanished from his features. His chest puffed out, head thrown back, one hand by his side, the other stretched out commandingly in front of him, fingers spread wide, his heels stamping on the mosaic floors, he made the impression of one ostentatiously proclaiming his dignity.
His eyebrows were gathered in a frown, his eyes glinted and strong-willed furrows outlined his mouth.
The old duty-chamberlain who had fallen asleep in the hall in front
of the royal bedchamber, tired from days of waiting, was gravely startled by his thunderous voice. The crystals in the chandeliers glittering in the morning sun tinkled.
The pikemen at the doors rushed forward and the king's favourite dogs gave tongue.
A smile passed around the king's lips and with impressive stateliness he proceeded solemnly past the startled individuals into his bedchamber.
There, he laid himself down to rest in an impeccable, physically expressive attitude and, while he slept, the tiding went from mouth to mouth in a whisper: 'The king's returned but he seems almost intoxicated.'
When finally, after a long wait, the stroke of a gong announced the king's order to approach to the softly conversing ministers, they, curious, went to pay their respects.
They did not find him in his housecoat sitting listlessly at the golden table, like on other days, but strong-willed, upright, fists clenched on the armrests of his Florentine chair. He sat there, legs wide, broad in his coronation robes draped in elegant folds, a crown of golden laurel leaves on his curiously coiffed hair, his head thrown back haughtily.
So much did his altered appearance surprise them that they remained bunched together at the entrance to the room, staring at him.
This pleased the king greatly.
'Apprrroach, my Lorrrds, apprrroach,' he commanded, and on the features of these highly surprised ones, his eyes sought out the effect of the distinguished sound of his words.
Slowly, the ministers approached but remained carefully bunched together.
'You arrre surrrprrrised,' said the king, 'fearrrful, prrrobably, because we seem alterrred to you.'
'Oh, no, Your Majesty,' the ministers stammered.
Then, with broad gestures, the king stepped up to them; his brow wrinkled, his eyes rolled wildly beneath his fearsomely bunched up eyebrows and in a tremendous voice he roared:
'Do not lie, odious crrreaturrres! We have become a differrrent perrrson. Werrre we in times past merrrely king by birrrth, today we arrre this deliberrrately, thrrrough knowledge of life and the superrriorrrity of ourrr perrrsonal genius. The days spent by us in grrrave and weighty study have perrrforrrmed a wondrrrous metamorrrphosis upon us. Frrrom now on, we arrre king with rrroyal allurrre! Yourrr unrrrefined gesturrres displease us grrreatly! What seems strrrange to you in ourrr charrracterrr is the neverrr demonstrrrated essence of trrruly rrregal rrroyalty. Teach yourrrselves to move exprrressively! Learrrn thrrrough us the corrrrrrrect prrronunciation of the worrrd. Study yourrr a's, yourrr e's, and arrrticulate the rrr's with distinction. Frrrom now on, ourrr courrrt will exude trrrue rrroyal rrrefinement!'
Then the king made a splendid gesture. He drew himself up tall, pointed wrathfully at the richly decorated doors and waited until their surprised excellencies had disappeared, their backs hunched.
Following this, without altering the expression on his face, he went to the huge full-length mirror and studied the distinguished impression he must have made on the wisest men in his realm.
The ministers, once outside, rushed, their backs hunched, to their own council chamber, closed the doors there circumspectly, stretched themselves to the length befitting ordinary human dignity, patted their ears in which the many fierce sounds uttered by the king still rang and regarded each other, smiling.
'Priceless,' the prime minister spoke first, and instantly the others dared to hoot with laughter.
They deliberated in hushed voices for a long time. One brought up the suspicion that someone had intoxicated the king's mind with a mysterious poison, another irreverently suspected His Majesty of overindulgence in drink, a third let it be known that in his opinion they were dealing with a case of One being of unsound mind, but all were in agreement that the actions of the monarch were exceptionally amusing and each time they reminded one another of the details of his poses, the laughter became uncontrollable.
'Oh the prime minister said at last, trying to force his face, once again, into the grave creases befitting his office: Wisdom or folly, it is our conviction that we must co-operate with the king and therefore I don't believe that this attitude will be a permanent one. His Majesty, doubtless, was jesting, but,' and he placed special emphasis on the word 'but', 'we must not take this jest with too much mirth. We must watch over decorum. I myself shall acquaint Her Majesty the Queen with what has taken place:
Then the sound of many trumpets sounded through the corridors of the palace.
The king was going to display himself to his people. Already the guardsmen's horses were stamping and pawing in the forecourt. Outriders in red uniforms jigged up and down, soldiers in glinting cuirasses controlled the gawp-happy populace that had poured in, in droves, and a general stood motionless, sabre drawn, ready to salute the king.
They expected the king dressed in simple clothes as usual, but he appeared on the high dais cloaked in an ermine robe.
He bore a golden staff in his hand and he bore a crown of laurel leaves on his neatly crimped hair.
The ovation the people gave him was, for this reason, of exceptionally long duration. But the king did not make his way immediately to his coach as usual. He remained on the steps to his palace, waiting, the way he had seen the actor do the night before, until the people had grown tired of cheering, then to make royal gestures on the marble elevation.
He extended his robe widely, stretching out his hand with the sceptre toward the sky, and his face showed the expression of the most regal possible pride.
The people, surprised at his movements, watched with bated breath, and by this silence the king understood that he was being highly admired. He repeated the gestures therefore; he shrouded himself in the ermine, raised himself on tip-toe, suddenly let the robe drop, brought his hand to his chin, stared into the void, remained motionless a moment only then to move again most elegantly. He twirled round a few times, stared at the sky, peered over the heads of the people at the fields, greeted the entire surroundings with wide-spread arms and stepped, now on tip-toe, then stomping his heels, towards his gilded coach.
The people were more and more surprised. Never had a king been seen like this before and when, slowly driving by, he looked at his subjects with adoringly staring eyes, they thought the expression on his face so extraordinary that they pressed round his state-coach as though he were a jolly fair-ground quack instead of the inaccessible bearer of authority.
The pikemen had difficulty in keeping the people at bay. Wildly, the people thronged closer.
The king, egged on by their enthusiasm, displayed his most splendid poses of all. He rose from his seat, made countless elegant waves of the arms, shook his tresses, twinkled with his fingers, grimly contorted his mouth only to smile amiably again instantly, whipping up the people to ever greater boisterousness.
The roar of the crowd could be heard streets away, and the city's population ran in huge throngs to meet the curious procession.
A fierce crush arose: horses reared up on to their hind legs, people ended up underfoot and the king went on with his physically expressive until the people could no longer be contained. They broke the ranks of soldiers, opened the carriage and forced him to go into the crowd.
This gave him a shock.
People embraced him, wanted to induce him to dance and they cheered in a disgracefully irreverent manner.
Pale and unnerved, he suddenly understood how much his dignity had been damaged. He wished to free himself of the embraces but he got stuck in the crush.
Cuirassiers had to relieve him.
Sabres unsheathed, they hacked their way into the multitude now running amok.
In a distraught condition, the king reached his palace. Faithful retainers led him to his apartments and in his bedchamber, burying his pale face in his trembling hands, he sank down on to his bed.
With reverent gentleness they relieved him of his torn robes, asked in hushed voices for his orders but he did not stir. For the second time the shameful feeling of humiliation oppressed him. It was as if his throat
was being pinched shut and the blood throbbed at his temples.
His head pressed deep into the spotless pillows, he could still smell the vile smells of the people and, trembling, he could still feel their rough touch. Through his closed eyelids he saw cheeky grinning faces and his ears were filled with noise, buzzing.
They let him be, and knowing himself to be safe in the silence at last, he dared to move.
Then he roused himself, went over to his chair by the window where he had felt doubt for the first time and, staring, he looked out into the darkening beyond.
The queen entered by the door, pushed open softly, and approached with small, careful steps.
'My poor Lord,' she said, and her voice sounded so intensely compassionate that tears welled up in the king's eyes.
'My poor she repeated and at once she pressed his hand tenderly. Why art thou so imprudent to display thyself to the people when thou hast taken too much wine7'
The king did not defend himself for he did not wish to speak to her of his doubt, but when the queen had departed he called for the old Councillor of State who had been his first teacher. To him he confessed his adventures. And the old Councillor said:
'I, too, after the full, carefree years of my youth, have attempted in the first period of reflection to assay my self-worth. By appearances I sought to give myself more esteem, but life taught me that we are what we are; never more, never less, and it taught me that, by wishing to achieve more than one is able to, one can only succeed in humiliating oneself.
'Thou art called king, but thou canst not elevate thyself to royal kingship through acts of outward display.
Time shall pronounce judgement.
'Be thyself, and if thou art of royal quality this shall be evident by thy true deeds. When thou sought'st to bring reality to the realm of appearances, thou wast ridiculous. Ridiculous, too, wast thou when thou sought'st to hand victory to appearances in real life.
'Should the actor, acclaimed and lauded as make-believe king in the realm of make-believe reality, wish to play the same part in the real world, he would be as preposterous as thou wast on his stage.
The Dedalus Book of Dutch Fantasy Page 36