Beautiful Stories from ShakespeareShakespeare, William
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Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Shakespeare, William
Children's literature; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stories, plots, etc. -- Juvenile literature
“You must attend this gentleman,” said the Queen. “Feed him with
apricots and dewberries, purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries.
Steal honey-bags for him from the bumble-bees, and with the wings of
painted butterflies fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.”
“I will,” said one of the fairies, and all the others said, “I will.”
“Now, sit down with me,” said the Queen to the clown, “and let me stroke
your dear cheeks, and stick musk-roses in your smooth, sleek head, and
kiss your fair large ears, my gentle joy.”
“Where's Peaseblossom?” asked the clown with the ass's head. He did not
care much about the Queen's affection, but he was very proud of having
fairies to wait on him. “Ready,” said Peaseblossom.
“Scratch my head, Peaseblossom,” said the clown. “Where's Cobweb?”
“Ready,” said Cobweb.
“Kill me,” said the clown, “the red bumble-bee on the top of the thistle
yonder, and bring me the honey-bag. Where's Mustardseed?”
“Ready,” said Mustardseed.
“Oh, I want nothing,” said the clown. “Only just help Cobweb to scratch.
I must go to the barber's, for methinks I am marvelous hairy about the
face.”
“Would you like anything to eat?” said the fairy Queen.
“I should like some good dry oats,” said the clown--for his donkey's
head made him desire donkey's food--“and some hay to follow.”
“Shall some of my fairies fetch you new nuts from the squirrel's house?”
asked the Queen.
“I'd rather have a handful or two of good dried peas,” said the clown.
“But please don't let any of your people disturb me; I am going to
sleep.”
Then said the Queen, “And I will wind thee in my arms.”
And so when Oberon came along he found his beautiful Queen lavishing
kisses and endearments on a clown with a donkey's head.
And before he released her from the enchantment, he persuaded her to
give him the little Indian boy he so much desired to have. Then he took
pity on her, and threw some juice of the disenchanting flower on her
pretty eyes; and then in a moment she saw plainly the donkey-headed
clown she had been loving, and knew how foolish she had been.
Oberon took off the ass's head from the clown, and left him to finish
his sleep with his own silly head lying on the thyme and violets.
Thus all was made plain and straight again. Oberon and Titania loved
each other more than ever. Demetrius thought of no one but Helena, and
Helena had never had any thought of anyone but Demetrius.
As for Hermia and Lysander, they were as loving a couple as you could
meet in a day's march, even through a fairy wood.
So the four mortal lovers went back to Athens and were married; and the
fairy King and Queen live happily together in that very wood at this
very day.
THE TEMPEST
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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