REFUSAL TO KNEEL
Lord Ponsonby, a 19th-century English diplomat, was famed for his imperturbable manners, tact and quick wit. Once when the Sultan of Turkey felt that the diplomatic corps in which Ponsonby served did not show sufficient humility when entering the royal presence, he had a very low door built so that the diplomats would have to crawl in. But Lord Ponsonby, confronted with the new door, was up to the obstacle. He simply turned and crawled through the door backward – presenting a splendid expanse of white satin breeches to the waiting Sultan. Taken from Time
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