The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-09-05
sOVERE|GNs AS
MERRY MAKERS
They Make and Enjoy Jokes But Per-
nit nc Familiarity Of Any Kind.

AIOudAIS W slap IllIl uGdI llly On the
shoulder, and another to tell him
that he is "a Jolly good fellow"
without showing a trace of offend
ed dignity, he is said never to per-
nit the least familiarity from even
the most exalted of his subjects.
And yet no monarch better ell
joys joke at the expense of his
officials, as was recently proved by
a remarkable photograph present
ed by him to an admiral who
usually accompanied him on his
yachting expeditions. On a recent
trip this admiral was not present
and his majesty, in order to show
him what he had missed, had
wonderful photograph faxed repre-
senting gigantic and fearsome
sea serpent gliding through the
water within pistol shot OF the i'm
perial yacht
A more froliCsome monarch is
the Shah of Persia, of whom the
following story is told: During
his last visit to Paris the Shah Just
as ne was leaving his hotel, sum-
moned the two police inspectors
who always accompany him on
their bicycles and begged the loan
of their machines, as his court
marshal and chief chamberlain
were anxious to try them. These
diguihed officials had never been
on bicycle in their lives, and
great was their CONSERVATION when
their royal master commanded
them to mount the unstable steeds
and ride away.
There was, however, no escape,
SO summoning up their courage
the two dignitaries tucked up their
frock coats got somehow astride of
their respective wheels and began
to wabble down the Champs
Elysees. They had scarcely gone
half dozen yards, however, be-
fore crash went one machine, and
then the other, and the gallant
riders were sprawling on the
ground, while the Shah laughed
so consumedly at the ludicrous
spectacle that he was obliged to
dry his eyes with his handker-
chief. "All you want is little
practice" he gasped between his
paroxysms of laughter, as the fall
en- heroes picked themselves up
and began ruefully to brush the
dust off their garments.
On another occasion his majesty
put several of his most adipose
and grave Courtiers on roller skates,
and was so convulsed by their
antics that he had to command
them to desist.
But perhaps no living sovereign
relishes a Joke of this kind more
heartily than the irrepressible
King of Spain, who is never so
happy as when he is shocking his
grave and decorous courtiers. On
ly the other day, it is said, he in
terrupted an interview with one
of his ministers to show him how
cleverly he could turn somersault,
an acrobatic feat which he also per-
formed for the benefit of Queen
Alexandra short time ago in one
of the corridors Of buckingham
Palace.
Francis | practiced some cruel
jokes on Jacob Paul Won GunGling,
an eminent scientist, on one occa-
sion dressing up a monkey in
clothes similar to those worn by
the professor and making the latter
embrace him in public and &C
knowledge him as his own son,
and on Gundling's death the King
had his body dressed in state uni
form and buried in a wine cask.
Charles III loved to go around
in disguise, assailing his subjects
in the Coarsest terms. He would
enter the shops of vendors of
breakable materials, and taking
up mirror or drinking glass
would let it fall to the ground,
laughing unrestrainedly at the
damage done and at tie abuse that
was showered on him. And to
give but one more example, Peter