“Krao”

Abstract

SOME two months ago there appeared in NATURE (vol. xxvii. p. 245) certain statements about “Krao,” the Siamese hairy child, which with your leave I would venture to correct. Krao's parents are both Siamese, not Laos; they are bath still living in this city; neither of them presents any special peculiarity they have other children still living, and also showing no special peculiarities; Krao, it is true, was not born in Bangkok, but in a village between this and the sea, her parents having a little time before her birth run away from their master, but coming back after the event. Siamese is of course Krao's native language; in her short journey up country with Mr. Bock, she, being an intelligent child, picked up a few words of Laos; the joints of her arms and fingers possess, it is true, according to European ideas great flexibility, but really they have it to no greater degree than those of ordinary Siamese; it is also true that she is able to use her toes, grasping things between the big toe and the next one in a way that is surprising and amusing to Europeans, but this is a faculty which all Siamese, being a barefooted people, possess to a greater or less degree; the child was baked upon here as even a greater natural curiosity than she is considered to be in. England, her parents being in the habit of taking her about and showing her for a small reward, and the price they obtained for her (in native currency equal to 60l.) being twice that of an ordinary child of the same age. A strange mistake has been made about the child's name, “Krao” being merely the Siamese name for whiskers, a very natural nickname for the child to obtain. As far as I can ascertain from those who knew the child well, she is endowed with the average intelligence of Siamese children of her age and class, and beyond her abnormal hairiness presents no peculiarity.