founder and chief of an
organization patterned after the Boy Scouts and known as the Wild
Tigers, which has hundreds of branches and carries on its rolls the
name of nearly every youth in the kingdom. Each year the organization
holds in Bangkok a grand rally, when thousands of youngsters, together
with many adults from all walks of life, for membership in the corps is
not confined to boys, are reviewed by the sovereign, who appears in the
gorgeous and original uniform, designed by himself, of
commander-in-chief of the Wild Tigers.

In one respect, however, King Rama lives up to the popular conception
of an Oriental ruler: like his father before him, he is generous to the
point of prodigality. This trait was illustrated not long ago, when he
sent eight thousand pounds to the widow of Mr. Westengaard, the
American who was for many years general adviser to the Government of
Siam, accompanied by a message that it was to be used for the education
of her son. This recalls a characteristic little anecdote of the
present ruler's father, the late King Chulalongkorn. The early youth of
the late king and his brothers was spent under the tutelage of an
English governess, who was affectionately addressed by the younger
members of the royal family as "Mem." Upon her return to England she
wrote a book entitled _An Englishwoman at the Siamese Court_, in which
she depicted her employer, King Mongkut, the father of Chulalongkorn,
in a none too favorable light. Some years later, upon the occasion of
King Chulalongkorn's visit to England, his former governess, now become
an old woman, called upon him.

"Mem," he said, in a course of conversation, "how could you write such
unkind things about my father? He was always very good to you."

"That is true, Majesty," the former governess admitted in some
confusion, "but the publishers wouldn't take the book unless I made it
sensational. And I had to do it because I was in financial
difficulties."

When she had departed the King turned to one of his equerries. "Send
the poor old lady a hundred pounds," he directed. "She meant no harm
and she needs the money."

The chief hobby of the present ruler is, curiously enough, amateur
dramatics, of which his orthodox and conservative ministers do not
wholly approve. In addition to having translated into Siamese a number
of Shakesperian plays, he is the author of several original dramas,
which have been produced at the palace under his personal direct