The Thai (Siamese) king in 1861 was Mongkut (the king in “Anna and the King of Siam”). At that time, with the British closing in on the west and the French taking over countries to the east, this wise king made nonaggression pacts with both countries, thus saving his country from becoming a European colony. Also at this time, Mongkut, an admirer of Abraham Lincoln, offered to send war elephants to our president to assist the federal forces in the Civil War. Lincoln graciously turned down the offer and gently explained to King Mongkut (Rama IV) why this wouldn’t be practical in this country. Mongkut’s son, and successor, Chulalongkorn (Rama V) put an end to the practice of “crouching like toads” before the king. “Thailand” means “Land of the free,” and the present king was born in Massachusetts while his father attended Harvard.
BE THIS GUY about 10 years ago
Everybody lost their contacts at same time.
finale about 10 years ago
The Empress wonders if “nude leapfrog” wouldn’t be more entertaining.
tattooedcyberidiot about 10 years ago
Hoover prototype
orinoco womble about 10 years ago
Even zoomed to the max, I’m still getting a postage stamp. Can’t see what it is.
pcolli about 10 years ago
Making obeisance to a Frenchman? No way!
StCleve72 about 10 years ago
Funny. One of Steve’s best so far.
BlackTie about 10 years ago
Auditions for the next “Human Centipede” installment.
jack fairbanks about 10 years ago
The reps from Charmin “moonlighting” as “finders of the royal contact lens”
puddlesplatt about 10 years ago
nice carpet, hand made?
ladykat about 10 years ago
Not tonight, Josephine
tomielm about 10 years ago
The Thai (Siamese) king in 1861 was Mongkut (the king in “Anna and the King of Siam”). At that time, with the British closing in on the west and the French taking over countries to the east, this wise king made nonaggression pacts with both countries, thus saving his country from becoming a European colony. Also at this time, Mongkut, an admirer of Abraham Lincoln, offered to send war elephants to our president to assist the federal forces in the Civil War. Lincoln graciously turned down the offer and gently explained to King Mongkut (Rama IV) why this wouldn’t be practical in this country. Mongkut’s son, and successor, Chulalongkorn (Rama V) put an end to the practice of “crouching like toads” before the king. “Thailand” means “Land of the free,” and the present king was born in Massachusetts while his father attended Harvard.
orinoco womble about 10 years ago
@ *Tomielm": You can find Anna Leonowens’ memoir “An English Governess at the Siamese Court” on the Gutenberg website for free. It’s a good read.
mabrndt Premium Member about 9 years ago
Another work by this artist can be found here.