Princess September

By - Somserset Maugham

Princess September

• Princess September, like each one of her numerous sisters receives the gift of a parrot in a golden cage on her father’s birthday.
• The parrot dies, and by chance a singing bird comes in its place.
• The princess shows off her pet to the other sisters who advise her to put it in a cage.
• Princess September loves the bird far too much to take chances, and acts upon her sisters’ advice.
• The bird could not overcome the loss of freedom.
• Princess September decides to put the bird’s happiness above her own and sets the bird free.
• Princess September was married to the King of Cambodia.
• Her sisters grew ugly as well as disagreeable.

Princess September

The King and Queen of Siam had many daughters. They were confused with the names of their daughters and so the Queen decided to name them January, February, March and so on and the last one was named September. The King of Siam had a peculiar habit of giving gifts on his birthday rather than receiving them. One birthday, he gave a parrot in a golden cage to all his daughters. All the parrots were taught to say the phrases “God save the King” and “Pretty Polly” in oriental languages. On one fine morning, Princess September found her own parrot lying dead in the cage. She was very depressed about this and began crying and behaving badly. The Queen got quite vexed with this behaviour and sent her to bed while all the daughters including the King and Queen went for a party. While she lay crying on her bed, a little singing bird came to the window of Princess September’s room and sang a little song by which Princess September was very impressed. The little bird asked September whether he could come in the place of the parrot. The princess happily accepted on finding a new friend.�

Princess September

• While the daughters were very jealous of the new pet, the King and the Queen of Siam were very happy to find a delighted bird that could sing so well. The Princesses vexed at this, advised September to put the parrot in a cage to keep him safe. Princess September acted upon her sisters’ advice and put the parrot into a cage. The bird felt very unhappy in the cage and he could not sing as he could not see the beautiful scenery which would give him a mood to sing. Princess September very unhappy to see the bird in such a sad condition, set the bird free. Then the bird was very happy and began to sing for the Princess the whole day long. The Princess was then married to the King of Cambodia and he was carried all the way to the city in which he lived on a white elephant. But her sisters never slept with their windows open, so they grew extremely ugly as well as disagreeable, and when the time came to marry them off they were given away to the King’s Councillors with a pound of tea and a Siamese cat.�

Princess September

• The King and Queen of Siam had many daughters, and the Queen said that it confused her to have to remember so many names. One day the Queen decided to call them…............................................
• January February March April June July August September May

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Princess September

The King of Siam had a peculiar habit. Instead of receiving gifts on his birthday, he gave them. One year on his birthday, not having anything else handy, he gave each of his daughters a green parrot in a golden cage. The princesses were very proud of their parrots and they spent an hour every day in teaching them to talk.

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• Presently, all the parrots could say “God save the King” and “Pretty Polly” in no less than seven oriental languages.

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Princess September

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• But one day when Princess September went to say good morning to her parrot, she found it lying dead at the bottom of the cage. She burst into a flood of tears and nothing that her Maids of Honour could say comforted her. The Maids of Honour told the Queen and the Queen said that it was stuff and nonsense and the child had better go to bed without any supper.

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• “Would you care to have me in the place of your parrot?” said the little bird. “It’s true that I am not so pretty to look at, but on the other hand, I have a much better voice.” Princess September clapped her hands with delight and then the little bird hopped on to the end of her bed and sang her to sleep. Princess September

Princess September

When she awoke the next day, the little bird was still there, and as she opened her eyes he said, “Good Morning!” The Maids of Honour brought in her breakfast and he ate the rice of her hand and he had his bath in her saucer. He began to sing again so beautifully that the Maids of Honour were quite surprised, for they never heard anything like it, and Princess September was very proud and happy. “Now I want to show you to my eight sisters, said the Princess. She stretched out the first finger of her right hand so that it served as a perch and the little bird flew down and sat on it. The Princess, followed by her Maids Of Honour, went through the palace and called on each of the princesses. And for each of them the little bird sang a different song. But the parrots could only say ‘God save the King’ and ‘Pretty Polly’. At last she showed the little bird to the King and the Queen. They were surprised and delighted.

Princess September

• “I knew I was right to send you to bed without any supper,” said the Queen. “This bird sings much better than the parrots, “said the King. “I should have thought you quite tired of hearing people say “God save the king”, and “Pretty Polly””, said the Queen. “I can’t think why those girls wanted to teach their parrots to say it too. “The sentiment is admirable,” said the King, “and I never mind how often I hear it. But I do get tired of hearing those parrots say “Pretty Polly”.” “They say it in seven different languages,” said the Princesses. “I daresay they do,” said the King, “but it reminds me too much of my Councillors. They say the same thing in seven different ways and it never means anything in any way they say it. The Princesses were vexed at this, and the parrots looked very glum indeed. But Princess September ran through the rooms of the palace with the bird singing like a nightingale.

Princess September

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• It seemed to the Princess that her little bird had been away a long time. Something might have happened to him. What with hawks and snares you never knew what trouble he might get into. Besides, he might forget her, or he might take a fancy to somebody else. That would be dreadful. She wished he were safely back again. Suddenly September heard a ‘tweet-tweet’ just behind her ear and she saw the little bird sitting on her shoulder. He had come in so quietly and alighted so softly that she had not heard him.

Princess September

• Things went on like this for several days and then the eight Princesses put their heads together. They went to September and sat down in a circle around her. “My Poor September,” they said, “We are sorry for the death of your beautiful parrot. It must be dreadful for you not have a pet bird as we have. So, we have all put our pocket-money together and we are going to buy you a lovely green and yellow parrot. “Thank you for nothing,” said September. “I have a pet bird which sings the most charming songs to me and I don’t know what on earth I should do with a green and yellow parrot.” “Well, my dear,” they said. “It’s absurd to talk of your bird when the little fellow flies in and out just as he likes.” They looked round and raised their eyebrows.

Princess September

• “Do you mind our asking where your bird is now?” they said. “He has gone to pay a visit to his father –in-law,” said September. “And what makes you think he’ll come back?” asked the Princesses. “He always does come back,” said September. “Well, my dear, said the eight Princesses, “if you’ll take our advice you won’t run any risks like that. If he comes back, and mind you, if he does you’ll be lucky, pop him into the cage and keep him there. That’s the only way you can be sure of him. “But I like to have him fly around the room,” said the young Princess. “Safety first,” said the sisters ominously. They got up and walked out of the room, shaking their heads and they left September very uneasy.�

Princess September

“I wondered what on earth had become of you,” said the Princess. “I thought you’d wonder that,” said the little bird. “The fact is I very nearly didn’t come back tonight at all. My father-in-law was giving a party and they all wanted me to stay, but I thought you’d be anxious.” Under the circumstances this was a very unfortunate remark for the little bird to make.

Princess September

• Princess September felt her heart go thump against her chest, and she made up her mind to take up no more risks. She put her hand and took hold of her bird. The bird suspected nothing and he was so surprised when she carried him over to the cage, he could of nothing to say. But in a moment or two, he hopped on to the ivory perch and said,” What is the joke?”

Princess September

• “There’s no joke,” said September, “but some of mamma’s cats are prowling about tonight, and I think you’re much safer in there. “Well, just for this once, I don’t mind, so long as you let me out in the morning.” said the little bird. He ate a very good supper and then began to sing. But in the middle of his song he stopped.

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• “I don’t know what’s the matter with me,” he said. “But I don’t feel like singing tonight.” “Very well,” said September. “Go to sleep instead.” So he put his head under his wing and in a minute was fast asleep. September went to sleep too. But when the dawn broke, she was awakened by the little bird calling her at the top of his voice.

Princess September

• “Wake up, Wake up,” he said. “Open the door of the cage and let me out. I want to have a good fly while the dew is still on the ground.” “You are much better off where you are,” said September. “Let me out, let me out,” said the little bird. And he tried to slip through The bars of the cage, but of course couldn’t open it. Then the eight Princesses came in and looked at him.

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• They told the Princess that she was very wise to take their advice. They said he would soon get used to the cage and in a few days would quite forget he had ever been free. The little bird said nothing at all while they were there, but as soon as they were gone he began to cry again, “Let me out, let me out.” “Don’t be such an old silly,” said September. “I’ve put you in the cage because I’m so fond of you. I know what’s good for you much better than you do yourself. Sing me a little song and I will give you a piece of sugar.”

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Princess September

• �But the little bird stood in a little corner of his cage looking out at the blue sky, and never sang a note. “What’s the good of sulking?”, said September. “Why don’t you sing and forget your troubles?” “How can I sing?” answered the bird. “I want to see the trees and the lake and green rice growing in the fields.”

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• “I’ll take you out everyday,” she said. “It’s not the same thing,” said the little bird. “The rice-fields and the lake and willow trees look quite different when you see them through the bars of the cage. The bird wouldn’t sing a song and he wouldn’t eat a thing. The Princess was a little anxious at this and asked her sisters what they thought about it.

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Princess September

• “You must be firm,” they said. “But if he won’t eat, he’ll die,” she said. “That would be very ungrateful of him,” they said. “He must know that you’re only thinking of his own good. If he’s obstinate and dies it’ll serve him right and you’ll be well rid of him.” September didn’t see how that was going to do very much good, but they were eight to one and all older than she, so she said nothing.

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• “Perhaps he’ll have got used to his cage by tomorrow,” she said. And next day when she awoke she cried out Good morning in a cheerful voice. She got no answer. She jumped out her bed and ran to the cage. She gave a startled cry, for there the little bird lay, at the bottom, on his side, With his eyes closed, and he looked as if he were dead. She gave a sob of relief, for she felt that his little heart was beating still.

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Princess September

• “Wake up, wake up, little bird,” she said. She began to cry and her tears fell on the little bird. He opened his eyes and saw that the bars of the cage were no longer around him. “I cannot sing unless I’m free, and if I cannot sing I die,” he said. The Princess gave a great sob. “Then take your freedom,” she said. “I shut you in a golden cage because I loved you and wanted to have you all to myself. But I never knew that it would you. I love you enough to let you be happy in your own way.

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• She threw open the windows and gently placed the little bird on the sill. He shook himself a little. “Come and go as you will, little bird,” she said. “I will never put in a cage any more.” “I will come because I love you, little princess,” said the bird. “And I will sing you the loveliest songs I know. I shall go far away, but I shall always come back and I shall never forget you.” He gave himself another shake. “Good gracious me, how stiff I am,” he said.

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Princess September

• Then he opened his wings and flew right away in to the blue. But the little Princess burst into tears, for it is very difficult to put of someone you love before your own, and with her little bird far out of sight she felt on a sudden very lonely. When her sisters knew what had happened they mocked her and said that the little bird would never return. But he did, at last. And sat on September’s shoulder and ate out of her hand and sang her the beautiful songs he had learned while he was flying up and down the fair places of the world.

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• September kept her windows open day and night so that the little bird might come into her room whenever he felt inclined, and this was very good for her; so she grew extremely beautiful. Princess September

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Princess September

• And when she was old enough she married the King of Cambodia and was carried all the way to the city in which he lived on a white elephant. But her sisters grew ugly as well as disagreeable. because her sisters never slept with their windows open, and when the time came to marry them off they were given away to the King’s Councilors with a pound of tea and a Siamese cat.

Moral of Story

• Other’s happiness should be put above our own.
• Freedom is above upon all things.�

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