A Fairy Tale in Two Acts Taken from Shakespeare | Page 5

and there
indeed let him name his name, and tell them plainly, He is Snug the
Joiner.
Quin. Well, it shall be so; but there is two hard things, that is, to bring

the moon-light into a chamber; for you know Pyramus and Thisby met
by moon-light.
Snug. Doth the moon shine that night we play our play?
Bot. A kalendar, a kalendar! look into the almanack; find out
moon-shine, find out moon-shine.
Quin. Yes, it doth shine that night.
Bot. Why then may you leave a casement of the great chamber window,
where we play, open, and the moon may shine in at the casement.
Quin. Ay, or else one must come in with a bush of throns and a
lanthern; and say he comes to disfigure or to present the person of
moon-shine. Then there is another thing; we must have a wall in the
great chamber, for Pyramus and Thisby (says the story) did talk
through the chink of a wall.
Snug. You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?
Bot. Some man or other must present wall; and let him have some
plaster, or some loome, or some rough-cast, about him, to signify wall:
Or let him hold his fingers thus, and through the cranny shall Pyramus
and Thisby whisper.
Quin. If that may be, then all is well. Come, sit down every mother's
son, and rehearse your parts. Pyramus, you begin; and when you have
spoken your speech, enter into that brake, and so every one according
to his cue.
Enter Puck.
Puck. What hempen homespuns have we swaggering
here, so near the
cradle of the Fairy Queen?
What, a play tow'rd; I'll be an auditor;

An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.
Quin. Speak, Pyramus. Thisby, stand forth.

Pyr. Thisby, the flower of odious savours sweet.
Quin. Odours, odours.
Pyr. Odours savours sweet;
So doth thy breath, my dearest Thisby
dear:
But hark, a voice! Stay thou but here a while,
And by-and-by I
will to thee appear,
Puck. A stranger Pyramus than e'er play'd here!
[Aside.
Now for a storm to drive these patches hence.
[He waves his wand.] Thunder and Lightning.
Quin. O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted:
Pray masters, fly
masters, help!
[Exeunt Clowns.
Puck. I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round,
Thro' bog, thro' bush,
thro' brake, thro' briar;
Sometimes a horse I'll be, sometimes a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometimes a fire,
And neigh, and bark, and
grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every
turn.
[Exit.
Enter Bottom.
Bot. Why do they let a little thunder frighten them away? But I will not
stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here,
and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.
[Sings.
AIR.
The ousel-cock, so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill,
The

throstle, with his note so true,
The wren with little quill.
Queen. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?
Bot. (Sings.) The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-song cuckow grey,
Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer nay.
Queen. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again,
Mine ear is much
enamour'd of thy note;
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape,
On
the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.
Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that; and yet,
to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together
now-a-days. The more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not
make them friends. Nay I can gleek upon occasion.
Queen. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
Bot. Not so neither: But if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I
have enough to serve mine own turn.
Queen. Out of this wood do not desire to go;
Thou shalt remain here,
whether thou wilt or no,
I am a spirit of no common rate;
The
summer still doth tend upon my state,
And I do love thee; therefore
go with me,
I'll give thee Fairies to attend on thee;
And they shall
fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing, while thou on pressed
flow'rs doth sleep;
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so,
That
thou shalt like an airy Spirit go.
Peaseblossom, Cob, Moth,
Mustardseed!
Enter Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, Four Fairies.
Pease. Ready.
Cob. And I.

Moth. And I.
Must. And I. Where shall we go?
Queen. Be kind and courteous to this Gentleman;
Hop in his walks,
and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him