Chapter 1

_The palace of the_ KING OF BURMAH. _The scene is laid in the Hall of a Hundred Doors_. _In the distance can be seen the moat_, _the waiting elephants_, _and the peacocks promenading proudly in the blinding sunshine of late afternoon_. _The scene discovers_ KING MENG BENG _seated on a raised cushion sewn with rubies_, _under a canopy supported by four attendants_, _motionless as bronze figures_. _By his side is a betel-nut box_, _glittering with gems_. _On either side of him_, _but much lower down_, _are the_ TWO AMBASSADORS OF THE KING OF CEYLON, _bearers of the King of Ceylon's consent to the marriage of his only daughter to Meng Beng in two years' time_, _men of grave_, _majestic mien_, _clad in flowing robes almost monastic in their white simplicity_. _They smoke gravely at the invitation of_ MENG BENG.

_Round about are grouped the courtiers_, _the poonygees_, _and the kneeling servants_, _while in the background wait the dancing girls_. _Banners_, _propelled with a measured rhythm_, _create an agreeable breeze_. _On a great table of gold stand goblets of gold and heaped-up fruits_. _Everywhere will be observed the emblems of the Royal Peacock and the Sacred White Elephant_. _Burmese musical instruments sound an abrupt but charming discord_. _The poinsettias flower punctuates points of deepest colour from out of vases fashioned like the lotus_. _Orchids are everywhere_. _The indescribable scent of Burmah steals across the footlights_. _The glow_, _the colour_, _the sun-swept vista sweeps across the senses_. THE KING _claps his hands_. _The_ DANCING GIRLS, _at the signal_, _advance_. _They are clad in dresses made of fish scales_, _which are fastened with diamonds and pale emeralds_, _to imitate the upthrown spray on the crest of a wave_. _The dance concluded_, _the_ CINGALESE AMBASSADORS _rise and prepare to take ceremonious leave of_ THE KING, _who hands to them_, _through his_ VIZIER, _his message to His Majesty of Ceylon_, _inscribed on palm leaves and enclosed in a bejewelled casket_.

_Many flowery speeches pass_. _Exit_ (_L._), _walking backwards_.

THE KING _expresses a desire for rest before starting by the Moon of Taboung _{4} _for the Pagoda of Golden Flowers_.

_Exit_ MENG BENG (_C._), _an alcove of satin hangings which commands a view of the great hall_.

_The Crowd break up into groups_. U. RAI GYAN THOO _and_ MOUNG PHO MHIN _converse on the tendency of the King to interference in affairs of State_; _his extreme youth and delicacy of temperament_; _the pity that the marriage is to be so long delayed_; _the necessity to find him some distraction in the meantime_.

_Suddenly the tom-toms sound loudly_. _There is much movement_. _The moon rises over the sea_. _Torches flare as the attendants move to and fro in the gardens beyond_.

_The White Elephant of the King_, _with its trappings of gold_, _is led to the entrance where_, _at a word_, _it sinks obediently to the ground_.

THE KING _appears_. _He has changed his gay apple-green dress to one of more sombre hue_. _He enters the howdah_--_the elephant rises_--_the procession starts_. _It consists of not fewer than two hundred persons_, _keeping in view of the audience until lost by a bend in the avenue_.