Produced by Dianne Bean and David Widger THE ROSE AND THE RING by William Makepeace Thackeray PRELUDE It happened that the undersigned spent the last Christmas season in a foreign city where there were many English children. In that city, if you wanted to give a child’s party, you could not even get a magic-lantern or buy Twelfth-Night characters--those funny painted pictures of the King, the Queen, the Lover, the Lady, the Dandy, the Captain, and so on--with which our young ones are wont to recreate themselves at this festive time. My friend Miss Bunch, who was governess of a large family that lived in the Piano Nobile of the house inhabited by myself and my young charges (it was the Palazzo Poniatowski at Rome, and Messrs. Spillmann, two of the best pastrycooks in Christendom, have their shop on the ground floor): Miss Bunch, I say, begged me to draw a set of Twelfth-Night characters for the amusement of our young people. She is a lady of great fancy and droll imagination, and having looked at the characters, she and I composed a history about them, which was recited to the little folks at night, and served as our FIRESIDE PANTOMIME. Our juvenile audience was amused by the adventures of Giglio and Bulbo, Rosalba and Angelica. I am bound to say the fate of the Hall Porter created a considerable sensation; and the wrath of Countess Gruffanuff was received with extreme pleasure. If these children are pleased, thought I, why should not others be amused also? In a few days Dr. Birch’s young friends will be expected to reassemble at Rodwell Regis, where they will learn everything that is useful, and under the eyes of careful ushers continue the business of their little lives. But, in the meanwhile, and for a brief holiday, let us laugh and be as pleasant as we can. And you elder folk--a little joking, and dancing, and fooling will do even you no harm. The author wishes you a merry Christmas, and welcomes you to the Fireside Pantomime. W. M. THACKERAY. December 1854. CONTENTS I. SHOWS HOW THE ROYAL FAMILY SATE DOWN TO BREAKFAST II. HOW KING VALOROSO GOT THE CROWN, AND PRINCE GIGLIO WENT WITHOUT III. TELLS WHO THE FAIRY BLACKSTICK WAS, AND WHO WERE EVER SO MANY GRAND PERSONAGES BESIDES IV. HOW BLACKSTICK WAS NOT ASKED TO THE PRINCESS ANGELICA’S CHRISTENING V. HOW PRINCESS ANGELICA TOOK A LITTLE MAID VI. HOW PRINCE GIGLIO BEHAVED HIMSELF VII. HOW GIGLIO AND ANGELICA HAD A QUARREL VIII. HOW GRUFFANUFF PICKED THE FAIRY RING UP, AND PRINCE BULBO CAME TO COURT IX. HOW BETSINDA GOT THE WARMING-PAN X. HOW KING VALOROSO WAS IN A DREADFUL PASSION XI. WHAT GRUFFANUFF DID TO GIGLIO AND BETSINDA XII. HOW BETSINDA FLED, AND WHAT BECAME OF HER XIII. HOW QUEEN ROSALBA CAME TO THE CASTLE OF THE BOLD COUNT HOGGINARMO XIV. WHAT BECAME OF GIGLIO XV. WE RETURN TO ROSALBA XVI. HOW HEDZOFF RODE BACK AGAIN TO KING GIGLIO XVII. HOW A TREMENDOUS BATTLE TOOK PLACE, AND WHO WON IT XVIII. HOW THEY ALL JOURNEYED BACK TO THE CAPITAL