Chapter I: Front Matter

[Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.]

Our Little Siamese Cousin

THE

Little Cousin Series

(TRADE MARK)

Each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in
tint. Cloth, 12mo, with decorative cover,
per volume, 60 cents

LIST OF TITLES

BY MARY HAZELTON WADE
(unless indicated otherwise)

=Our Little African Cousin=

=Our Little Alaskan Cousin=
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

=Our Little Arabian Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little Argentine Cousin=
By Eva Cannon Brooks

=Our Little Armenian Cousin=

=Our Little Australian Cousin=
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

=Our Little Belgian Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little Bohemian Cousin=
By Clara V. Winlow

=Our Little Brazilian Cousin=
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

=Our Little Canadian Cousin=
By Elizabeth R. MacDonald

=Our Little Chinese Cousin=
By Isaac Taylor Headland

=Our Little Cuban Cousin=

=Our Little Danish Cousin=
By Luna May Innes

=Our Little Dutch Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little Egyptian Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little English Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little Eskimo Cousin=

=Our Little French Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little German Cousin=

=Our Little Grecian Cousin=
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

=Our Little Hawaiian Cousin=

=Our Little Hindu Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little Hungarian Cousin=
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

=Our Little Indian Cousin=

=Our Little Irish Cousin=

=Our Little Italian Cousin=

=Our Little Japanese Cousin=

=Our Little Jewish Cousin=

=Our Little Korean Cousin=
By H. Lee M. Pike

=Our Little Malayan (Brown) Cousin=

=Our Little Mexican Cousin=
By Edward C. Butler

=Our Little Norwegian Cousin=

=Our Little Panama Cousin=
By H. Lee M. Pike

=Our Little Persian Cousin=
By E. C. Shedd

=Our Little Philippine Cousin=

=Our Little Polish Cousin=
By Florence E. Mendel

=Our Little Porto Rican Cousin=

=Our Little Portuguese Cousin=
By Edith A. Sawyer

=Our Little Russian Cousin=

=Our Little Scotch Cousin=
By Blanche McManus

=Our Little Siamese Cousin=

=Our Little Spanish Cousin=
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

=Our Little Swedish Cousin=
By Claire M. Coburn

=Our Little Swiss Cousin=

=Our Little Turkish Cousin=

L. C PAGE & COMPANY
53 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.

Our Little
Siamese Cousin

By
Mary Hazelton Wade

_Illustrated by_

L. J. Bridgman

Boston
L. C. Page & Company
_PUBLISHERS_

_Copyright, 1903_

BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY

(INCORPORATED)

_All rights reserved_

Published June, 1903

Fourth Impression, June, 1909
Fifth Impression, November, 1912

Preface

MANY years ago there came to America two young men who were looked upon as the greatest curiosities ever seen in this country.

They belonged to another race than ours. In fact, they were of two races, for one of their parents was a Chinese, and therefore of the Yellow Race, while the other was a Siamese, belonging to the Brown Race.

These two young men left their home in far-away Siam and crossed the great ocean for the purpose of exhibiting the strange way in which nature had joined them together. A small band of flesh united them from side to side.

Thus it was that from the moment they were born to the day of their death the twin brothers played and worked, ate and slept, walked and rode, at the same time.

Thousands of people became interested in seeing and hearing about these two men. Not only this, but they turned their attention to the home of the brothers, the wonderful land of Siam, with its sacred white elephants and beautiful temples, its curious customs and strange beliefs.

Last year the young prince of that country, wishing to learn more of the life of the white people, paid a visit to America. He was much interested in all he saw and heard while he was here.

Now let us, in thought, return his visit, and take part in the games and sports of the children of Siam.

We will attend some of their festivals, take a peep into the royal palace, enter the temples, and learn something about the ways and habits of that far-away eastern country.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE FIRST BIRTHDAY 9
II. LITTLE CHIE LO 25
III. NIGHT ON THE RIVER 36
IV. WORK AND PLAY 47
V. NEW YEAR'S 55
VI. WHITE ELEPHANTS 61
VII. IN THE TEMPLE 67
VIII. THE LEGEND OF THE PEACE-OFFERING 78
IX. QUEER SIGHTS 87
X. THE QUEEN'S CITY 98
XI. THE MONSOON 104

List of Illustrations

PAGE
CHIN _Frontispiece_
CHIN'S HOME 29
THE GREAT TEMPLE AT BANGKOK 40
"THEY CARRIED SOME OF THEIR FLOWERS TO THE STATUE OF BUDDHA" 57
"'THEY WOULD PICK UP THE LOGS WITH THEIR TRUNKS'" 63
SIAMESE ACTORS 92

Our Little Siamese Cousin