THE KING.  In order to seal thy promise to thy king.

THE BEGGAR.  But I have made no promise.  Neither have I any king.

THE KING.  Ho!  He has made no promise.  Neither has he any king.  Ha, ha, ha.  I have commanded thee not to beg any more, for the sound of thy voice is grievous unto my ears.  Touch thy forehead now to the floor, as I have commanded thee, and thou shall go from this palace a free man.  Refuse, and thou wilt be sorry before an hour that thy father ever came within twenty paces of thy mother.

THE BEGGAR.  I have ever lamented that he did.  For to be born into this world a beggar is a more unhappy thing than any that I know—­unless it is to be born a king.

THE KING.  Fft!  Thy tongue of a truth is too lively for thy health.  Come, now, touch thy forehead thrice to the floor and promise solemnly that thou wilt never beg in the streets again.  And hurry!

THE SERVANT (aside).  It is wise to do as thy king commands thee.  His patience is near an end.

THE KING.  Do not be afraid to soil the floor with thy forehead.  I will graciously forgive thee for that.

(THE BEGGAR stands motionless.)

THE SERVANT.  I said, it is not wise to keep the king waiting.

(THE BEGGAR does not move.)

THE KING.  Well? (A pause.) Well? (In a rage) WELL?

THE BEGGAR.  O king, thou hast commanded me not to beg in the streets for bread, for the noise of my voice offends thee.  Now therefore do I likewise command thee to remove thy crown from thy forehead and throw it from yonder window into the street.  For when thou hast thrown thy crown into the street, then will I no longer be obliged to beg.

THE KING.  Fft! Thou commandest me! Thou, a beggar from the streets, commandest me, a king, to remove my crown from my forehead and throw it from yonder window into the street!

THE BEGGAR.  That is what I said.

THE KING.  Why, dost thou not know I can have thee slain for such words?

THE BEGGAR.  No.  Thou canst not have me slain.  The spears of thy soldiers are as straws against my body.

THE KING.  Ha!  We shall see if they are.  We shall see!

THE SERVANT.  O king, it is indeed true.  It is even as he has told thee.

THE BEGGAR.  I have required thee to remove thy crown from thy forehead.  If so be thou wilt throw it from yonder window into the street, my voice will cease to annoy thee any more.  But if thou refuse, then thou wilt wish thou hadst never had any crown at all.  For thy days will be filled with a terrible boding and thy nights will be full of horrors, even as a ship is full of rats.

THE KING.  Why, this is insolence.  This is treason!

THE BEGGAR.  Wilt thou throw thy crown from yonder window?

THE KING.  Why, this is high treason!