"Well, what appointment have you saved for me?" "For you? Let's see. You can be Ambassador to Ho Chung Kuo." (A far-off country—America, in fact.) "Indeed?" screamed the Queen's brother in terrible rage. He took his knife from his mouth and lunged at the King. . . . Only a remarkable quickness of foot saved King Cheng Chang.
His Majesty, very properly, was much displeased at such unseemly behavior. Who wouldn't be? "I shall have your eldest brother beheaded," he told the Queen. "Indeed?" said the Queen. "Then I shall beat you." So that ended that. He was little and she was large. There was no beheading.
At dinner the Queen's second brother remarked in a casual tone: "It's an exquisite day, isn't it? I hope it will be this pleasant when I am inaugurated Governor of Kwang Ting." "You? Governor? I have appointed Ching Chung to be Governor of Kwang Ting. You can be constable at. . . . " "Indeed?" screamed the would-be governor in an ungovernable rage. He seized his fork and rushed at the King. Fortunately a mat
