The Episode of the Exiled Monarch
Encyclopedia
"The Episode of the Exiled Monarch" , a.k.a. The Diverting Episode of the Exiled Monarch, is a short story
by P. G. Wodehouse
and C. H. Bovill, which first appeared in the United Kingdom
in the August 1914 issue of the Strand
, and in the United States
in the September 1916 Pictorial Review
. It was published in book form in the collection A Man of Means
in 1991.
It is the fifth of six stories to feature Roland Bleke, a young man for whom financial success is always a mixed blessing.
of Paranoya, a small country reeling from a recent revolution
. Bleke discovers that he is expected to fund the liberation of the country from it oppressors.
Plans for a bloody counter-revolution commence, and Bleke finds himself threatened by advocates of the new regime. Maraquita suggests they scupper the enemy by writing a will leaving all Bleke's money to her cause. Bleke finds himself beset with mysterious messages bearing only the word "Beware". Soon, he is brought before the exiled King himself, who reveals that he has no desire to be restored to power and is much happier in exile in England
.
Baffled at how to talk his new friends out of their plans, he avoids them for a few days; when he finally visits once more, he finds the mood very different. Bombito, Maraquita's largest and most threatening co-conspirator, takes him aside and reveals all. There has been a political change in Paranoya, and Bombito himself has been made president
, negating the need for a revolution. Maraquita, Bombito's wife, will be returning home with him forthwith. A relieved Bleke shakes the man's hand.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
and C. H. Bovill, which first appeared in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the August 1914 issue of the Strand
Strand Magazine
The Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
, and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the September 1916 Pictorial Review
Pictorial Review
Pictorial Review is a magazine which first appeared in September, 1899. The magazine was originally designed to showcase dress patterns of William Paul Ahnelt's American Fashion Company. By the late 1920s it was one of the largest of the "women's magazines"....
. It was published in book form in the collection A Man of Means
A Man of Means
A Man of Means is a collection of six short stories written in collaboration by P. G. Wodehouse and C. H. Bovill. The stories first appeared in the United Kingdom in the Strand in 1914, and in the United States in Pictorial Review in 1916...
in 1991.
It is the fifth of six stories to feature Roland Bleke, a young man for whom financial success is always a mixed blessing.
Plot summary
A new dance craze, the caoutchouc, has hit town, and Roland Bleke quickly falls for the potent charms of its principal proponent, Maraquita. Finally meeting her, however, he soon realises that he has bitten off more than he can chew. She drags him to her house, which he finds filled with the former aristocracyAristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
of Paranoya, a small country reeling from a recent revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
. Bleke discovers that he is expected to fund the liberation of the country from it oppressors.
Plans for a bloody counter-revolution commence, and Bleke finds himself threatened by advocates of the new regime. Maraquita suggests they scupper the enemy by writing a will leaving all Bleke's money to her cause. Bleke finds himself beset with mysterious messages bearing only the word "Beware". Soon, he is brought before the exiled King himself, who reveals that he has no desire to be restored to power and is much happier in exile in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Baffled at how to talk his new friends out of their plans, he avoids them for a few days; when he finally visits once more, he finds the mood very different. Bombito, Maraquita's largest and most threatening co-conspirator, takes him aside and reveals all. There has been a political change in Paranoya, and Bombito himself has been made president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, negating the need for a revolution. Maraquita, Bombito's wife, will be returning home with him forthwith. A relieved Bleke shakes the man's hand.
External links
- Free eBook of A Man of Means at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...