The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
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The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
"What thou seest when thou wake, Do it for thy true love take;"
Now, it happened that when Titania woke the first thing she saw
was a stupid clown, one of a party of players who had come out
into the wood to rehearse their play. This clown had met with
Puck, who had clapped an ass's head on his shoulders so that it
looked as if it grew there. Directly Titania woke and saw this
dreadful monster, she said, "What angel is this? Are you as wise
as you are beautiful?"
"If I am wise enough to find my way out of this wood, that's
enough for me," said the foolish clown.
"Do not desire to go out of the wood," said Titania. The spell of
the love-juice was on her, and to her the clown seemed the most
beautiful and delightful creature on all the earth. "I love you,"
she went on. "Come with me, and I will give you fairies to attend
on you."
So she called four fairies, whose names were Peaseblossom, Cobweb,
Moth, and Mustardseed.
"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 humble-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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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