The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for ChildrenLamb, Charles
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The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 3: Books for Children
Lamb, Charles
Children's poetry; Children's stories
The next day Petruchio pursued the same course, still speaking kind
words to Katherine, but when she attempted to eat, finding fault with
every thing that was set before her, throwing the breakfast on the
floor as he had done the supper; and Katherine, the haughty Katherine,
was fain to beg the servants would bring her secretly a morsel of
food, but they being instructed by Petruchio replied, they dared not
give her any thing unknown to their master. "Ah," said she, "did he
marry me to famish me? Beggars that come to my father's door have
food given them. But I, who never knew what it was to intreat for any
thing, am starved for want of food, giddy for want of sleep, with
oaths kept waking, and with brawling fed, and that which vexes me more
than all, he does it under the name of perfect love, pretending that
if I sleep or eat it were present death to me." Here her soliloquy was
interrupted by the entrance of Petruchio: he, not meaning she should
be quite starved, had brought her a small portion of meat, and he said
to her, "How fares my sweet Kate? Here, love, you see how diligent I
am, I have dressed your meat myself. I am sure this kindness merits
thanks. What not a word? Nay then you love not the meat, and all the
pains I have taken is to no purpose." He then ordered the servant to
take the dish away. Extreme hunger, which had abated the pride of
Katherine, made her say, though angered to the heart, "I pray you, let
it stand." But this was not all Petruchio intended to bring her to,
and he replied, "The poorest service is repaid with thanks, and so
shall mine before you touch the meat." On this Katherine brought out
a reluctant "I thank you, sir." And now he suffered her to make a
slender meal, saying, "Much good may it do your gentle heart, Kate;
eat apace! And now, my honey love, we will return to your father's
house, and revel it as bravely as the best, with silken coats and caps
and golden rings, with ruffs and scarfs and fans and double change of
finery;" and to make her believe he really intended to give her these
gay things, he called in a taylor and a haberdasher, who brought some
new clothes he had ordered for her, and then giving her plate to the
servant to take away, before she had half satisfied her hunger, he
said, "What? have you dined?" The haberdasher presented a cap, saying,
"Here is the cap your worship bespoke;" on which Petruchio began to
storm afresh, saying, the cap was moulded in a porringer, and that
it was no bigger than a cockle or a walnut shell, desiring the
haberdasher to take it away and make a bigger. Katherine said, "I will
have this; all gentlewomen wear such caps as these." "When you are
gentle," replied Petruchio, "you shall have one too, and not till
then." The meat Katherine had eaten had a little revived her fallen
spirits, and she said, "Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak,
and speak I will. I am no child, no babe; your betters have endured
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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