A CONNECTICUT YANKEE
IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT
by
MARK TWAIN
(Samuel L. Clemens)
Part 6.
CONTENTS:
| CHAPTER XXVII. | THE YANKEE AND THE KING TRAVEL INCOGNITO |
| CHAPTER XXVIII. | DRILLING THE KING |
| CHAPTER XXIX. | THE SMALL-POX HUT |
| CHAPTER XXX. | THE TRAGEDY OF THE MANOR-HOUSE |
| CHAPTER XXXI. | MARCO |
CHAPTER XXVII
THE YANKEE AND THE KING TRAVEL INCOGNITO
About bedtime I took the king to my private quarters to cut hishair and help him get the hang of the lowly raiment he was to wear.The high classes wore their hair banged across the forehead buthanging to the shoulders the rest of the way around, whereas thelowest ranks of commoners were banged fore and aft both; the slaveswere bangless, and allowed their hair free growth. So I inverteda bowl over his head and cut away all the locks that hung below it.I also trimmed his whiskers and mustache until they were onlyabout a half-inch long; and tried to do it inartistically, andsucceeded. It was a villainous disfigurement. When he got hislubberly sandals on, and his long robe of coarse brown linen cloth,which hung straight from his neck to his ankle-bones, he was nolonger the comeliest man in his kingdom, but one of the unhandsomestand most commonplace and unattractive. We were dressed and barberedalike, and could pass for small farmers, or farm bailiffs, orshepherds, or carters; yes, or for village artisans, if we chose,our costume being in effect universal among the poor, because ofits strength and cheapness. I don't mean that it was really cheapto a very poor person, but I do mean that it was the cheapestmaterial there was for male attire—manufactured material, youunderstand.
We slipped away an hour before dawn, and by broad sun-up had madeeight or