Children's Shakespeare - E Nesbit

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Introduction of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
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All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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by Tim Ferrera. The children Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt introduction.
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It was evening. The fire burned brightly in the inn parlor.
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We had been that day to see Shakespeare's house, and
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I had told the children all that I could about
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him and his work. Now they were sitting by the table,
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poring over a big volume of the Master's plays, lent
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them by the landlord, and I, with eyes fixed on
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the fire, was wandering happily in the Immortal dreamland, peopled
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by Rosalind and Imogen, Leir and Hamlet. A small sigh
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roused me. I can't understand a word of it, said Iris.
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And you said it was so beautiful, Rosamond added, reproachfully,
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what does it all mean? Yes, Iris went on, you
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said it was a fairy tale, and we've read three
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pages and there's nothing about fairies, not even a dwarf
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or a fairy godmother. What does miss graft mean? And
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vantage and austerity and belike an edict and stop stop,
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I cried, I will tell you the story in a moment.
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They were nestling beside me, cooing with the pleasure that
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the promise of a story always brings them. But you
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must be quiet a moment and let me think. In truth,
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it was not easy to arrange the story simply, even
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with the recollection of Lamb's tales to help me. I
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found it hard to tell the Midsummer Night's Dream in
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words that these little ones could understand. But presently I
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began the tale, and then the words came fast enough.
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When the story was ended, Iris drew a long breath.
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It is a lovely story, he said, But it doesn't
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look at all like that in the book. It is
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only put differently, I answered. You will understand when you
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grow up that the stories are the least part of Shakespeare.
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But it's the stories we like, said Rosamond. You see
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he did not write for children. No, but you might, cried,
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Iris flushed with a sudden idea. Why don't you write
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the stories for us so that we can understand them,
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just as you told us that, And then when we
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are grown up, we shall understand the place so much better.
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Do do ah? Do you will, won't you you must? Oh? Well,
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if I must, I must, I said. So they settled
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it for me and for them. These tales were written
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end of introduction, Chapter one of The Children Shakespeare. This
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is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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LibriVox dot org. Recording by Tim Ferreira. The Children Shakespeare
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by Edith Nesbitt, Chapter one, Romeo and Juliette. Once upon
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a time there lived in Verona two great families, named
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Montague and Capulate. They were both rich, and I suppose
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they were as sensible in most things as other rich people.
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But in one thing they were extremely silly. There was
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an old, old quarrel between the two families, and instead
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of making it up like reasonable folks, they made a
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sore of a pet of their quarrel and would not
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let it die out, so that a Montague wouldn't speak
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to a Capulot if he met one in the street,
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nor a Capulate to a Montague. Or if they did speak,
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it was to say rude and unpleasant things, which often
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ended in a fight. And their relations and servants were
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just as foolish, so that the street fights and jewels,
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and uncomfortableness of that kind were always growing out of
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the Montague and Capulate quarrel. Now Lord Capulet, the head
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of that family, gave a party, a grand supper and dance,
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and he was so hospitable that he said anyone might
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come to it, except of course the Montagues. But there
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was a young Montague named Romeo, who very much wanted
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to be there because rauselyin the lady he loved had
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been asked. This lady had never been at all kind
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to him, and he had no reason to love her.
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But the fact was that he wanted to love somebody,
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and as he hadn't seen the right lady, he was
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obliged to love the wrong one. So to the Capulot's
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grand party he came with his friends Mercutio and Benvolio.
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Old Capulot welcomed him and his two friends very kindly,
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and young Romeo moved to among the crowd of courtly folk,
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dressed in their velvets and satins, the men with jeweled
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sword hilts and collars, and the ladies with brilliant gems
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on breast and arms, and stones of price set in
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their bright girdles. Romeo was in his best too, and
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though he wore black mask over his eyes and nose,
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every one could see by his mouth and his hair,
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and the way he held his head, that he was
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twelve times handsomer than any one else in the room. Presently,
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amid the dancers, he saw a lady so beautiful and
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so lovable, that from that moment he never again gave
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one thought to that Rosalind, whom he had thought he loved.
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And he looked at this other fair lady as she
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moved in the dance, in her white satin and pearls,
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and all the world seemed vain and worthless to him
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compared with her. And he was saying this or something
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like it to his friend, when Tybolt, Lady Capulet's nephew,
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hearing his voice, knew him to be Romeo. Tybolt being
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very angry when at once to his uncle and told
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him how Montague had come uninvited to the feast. But
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old Capulot was too fine a gentleman to be discourteous
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to any man under his own roof, and he bade
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Tybalt be quiet. But this young man only waited for
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a chance to quarrel with Romeo. In the meantime, Romeo
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made his way to the fair lady and told her
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in sweet words that he loved her and kissed her.
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Just then her mother sent for her. And then Romeo
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found out that the lady on whom he had set
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his heart's hope was Juliet, the daughter of Lord Capulot,
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his sworn foe. So he went away, sorrowing indeed, but
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loving her none the less. Then Juliet said to her nurse,
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who is that gentleman that would not dance? His name
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is Romeo, and a Montague, the only son of your
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great enemy, answered the nurse. Then Juliet went to her
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room and looked out of her window over the beautiful green,
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gray garden where the moon was shining. And Romeo was
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hidden in that garden among the trees, because he could
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not bear to go right away without trying to see
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her again. So she, not knowing him to be there,
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spoke her secret thought aloud and told the quiet garden
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how she loved Romeo. And Romeo heard and was glad
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beyond measure. Hidden below, he looked up and saw her
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fair face in the moonlight, framed in the blossoming creepers
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that grew round her window, And as he looked and listened,
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he felt as though he had been carried away in
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a dream and set down by some magician in that
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beautiful and enchanted garden. Ah, why are you called, Romeo,
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said Juliet, Since I love you, what does it matter
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what you are called? Call me but love, and I'll
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be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo, he cried,
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stepping into the full white moonlight from the shade of
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the cypresses and oleanders that had hidden him. She was
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frightened at first, but when she saw it was Romeo
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himself and no stranger, she too was glad, And he
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standing in a garden below, and she leaning from the window.
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They spoke long together, each one trying to find the
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sweetest words in the world to make that pleasant talk
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that lovers use. And the tale of all they said,
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in the sweet music their voices made together, is all
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set down in a golden book, where you children may
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read it for yourself some day. And the time passed
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so quickly as it does for folk who love each
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other and are together, that when the time came to part,
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it seemed as though they had met but that moment,
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and indeed they hardly knew how to part. I will
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send to you tomorrow, said Juliet, And so at last,
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with lingering and longing, they said good bye. Juliet went
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into her room, and a dark curtain hid her bright window.
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Romeo went away through the still and dewy garden like
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a man in a dream. The next morning, very early,
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Romeo went to Friar Lawrence, a priest, and telling him
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all the story, begged him to marry him to Juliet
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without delay, and this after some talk, the priest consented
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to do so. When Juliette sent her old nurse to
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Romeo that day to know what he proposed to do,
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the old woman took back a message that all was
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well and all things ready for the marriage of Juliet
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and Romeo on the next morning. The young lovers were
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afraid to ask their parents consent to their marriage, as
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young people should do, because of this foolish old quarrel
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between the Capulets and the Montagues, and Friar Lawrence was
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willing to help the young lover secretly because he thought
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that when they were once married, their parents might soon
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be told and that the match might put a happy
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end to the old quarrel. So the next morning early
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Romeo and Juliet were married at Friar Lawrence's cell and
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parted with tears and kisses, and Romeo promised to come
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into the garden that evening, and the nurse got ready
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a rope ladder to let down from the window so
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that Romeo could climb up and talk to his dear
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wife quietly and alone. But that day a very dreadful
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thing happened. Tybolt, the young man who had been so
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vexed at Romeo's going to the Capulot's feast, met him
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and his two friends Mercutio and Benvolio in the street,
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called Romeo a villain and asked him to fight. Romeo
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had no wish to fight with Juliet's cousin, but Mercutio
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drew a sword and he and Tybolt fought, and Mercutio
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was killed. When Romeo saw that his friend was dead,
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he forgot everything except anger at the man who had
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killed him, and he and Tybolt fought till Tybolt fell dead.
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So on the very day of his wedding, Romeo killed
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his dear Juliet's cousin and was sentenced to be banished.
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Poor Juliet and her young husband met that night. Indeed,
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he climbed the rope ladder among the flowers and found
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her window. But their meeting was a sad one, and
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they parted with bitter tears and hearts heavy because they
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could not know when they should meet again. Now, Juliet's father,
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who of course had no idea that she was married,
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wished her to wed a gentleman named Paris, and was
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so angry when she refused that she hurried away to
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ask Friar Lawrence what she should do. He advised her
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to pretend to consent, and then he said, I will
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give you a draft that will make you seem to
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be dead for two days, and then when they take
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you to church, it will be to bury you, and
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not to marry you. They will put you in a vault,
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thinking you are dead, and before you wake up, Romeo
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and I will be there to take care of you.
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Will you do this or are you afraid I will
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do it? Talk not to me of fear, said Juliet,
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and she went home and told her father she would
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marry Paris if she had spoken out, and told her
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father the truth, Well, then this would have been a
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different story. Lord Capulet was very much pleased to get
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his own way and set about inviting his friends and
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getting the wedding feast ready. Every one stayed up all night,
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for there was a great deal to do in very
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little time to do it in Lord Capulot was anxious
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to get Juliet married because he saw she was very unhappy.
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Of course, she was really fretting about her husband Romeo,
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but her father thought she was grieving for the death
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of her cousin Tybalt, and he thought marriage would give
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her something else to think about. Early in the morning,
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the nurse came to call Juliet and to dress her
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for the wedding, but she would not wake. And at
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last the nurse cried out, suddenly, alas, alas, help help
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my lady's dead. Oh well, a day that ever I
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was born. Lady Capulot came running in, and then Lord
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Capulot and Lord Paris, the bridegroom. There lay Juliette, cold
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and white and lifeless, and all their weeping could not
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wake her. So it was a burying that day instead
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of a marrying. Meantime, Friar Lawrence had sent a message
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to Mantua with the letter to Romeo telling him of
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all these things, and all would have been well. Only
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the messenger was delayed and could not go. But ill
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news travels fast. Romeo's servant, who knew the secret of
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the marriage but not of Juliette's pretended death, heard of
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her funeral and hurried to Mantua to tell Romeo how
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his young wife was dead and lying in the grave.
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It is so, cried Romeo, heart broken. Then I will
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lie by Juliette's side to night. And he bought himself
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a poison and went straight back to Verona. He hastened
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to the tomb where Juliette was lying. It was not
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a grave, but a vault. He broke down the door
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and was just going down the stone steps that led
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to the vault where all the dead Capulets lay, when
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he heard a voice behind him calling on him to stop.
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It was the Count Paris, who was to have married
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juliet that very day. How dare you come here and
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disturb the dead bodies of the Capulets, You vile Montague,
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cried Paris. Poor Romeo, half mad with sorrow, yet tried
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to answer gently you were told, said Paris, that if
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you returned to Verona, you must die. I must. Indeed,
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said Romeo, I came here for nothing else. Good gentle youth,
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leave me. Oh, go before I do you any harm.
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I love you better than myself. Go leave me here.
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Then Paris said, I defy you, and I arrest you
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as a felon. Then Romeo, in his anger and despair,
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drew his sword. They fought, and Paris was killed. As
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Romeo's sword pierced him. Paris cried, Oh, I am slain.
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If thou be merciful, open the tomb, lay me with Juliette.
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And Romeo said, in faith I will, and he carried
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the dead man into the two and laid him by
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the dear Juliette's side. Then he kneeled by Juliette and
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spoke to her, and held her in his arms and
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kissed her cold lips, believing that she was dead, while
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all the while she was coming nearer and nearer to
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the time of her awakening. Then he drank the poison
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and died beside his sweetheart and wife. Now came Friar
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Lawrence when it was too late, and saw all that
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had happened, And then poor Juliette woke out of her
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sleep to find her husband and her friend both dead
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beside her. The noise of the fight had brought other
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folks to the place too, and Friar Lawrence, hearing them,
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ran away, and juliet was left alone. She saw the
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cup that had held the poison and knew how all
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had happened. And since no poison was left for her,
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she drew her Romeo's dagger and thrust it through her heart,
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and so, falling with her head on Romeo's breast, she died.
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And here ends the story of these faithful and most
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unhappy lovers. And when the old folks knew from Friar
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Lawrence of all that had befallen, they sowered exceedingly, and
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now seeing all the mischief their wicked quarrel had wrought,
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they repented them of it, and over the bodies of
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their dead children they clasped hands at last in friendship
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and forgiveness. End of Chapter.
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One, Chapter two of The Children Shakespeare. This is a
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LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot
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Org recording by Ruth Golding. The Children Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt,
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Chapter two, The Tempest. Prospero, the Duke of Milan, was
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a learned and studious man who lived among his books,
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leaving the management of his dukedom to his brother Antonio,
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in whom indeed he had complete trust. But that trust
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was ill rewarded, for Antonio wanted to wear the Duke's
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crown himself, and to gain his ends, would have killed
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his brother, but for the love the people bore him. However,
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with the help of Prospero's great enemy, Alonzo, King of Naples,
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he managed to get into his hands the dukedom with
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all its honor, power and riches. For they took Prospero
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to see, and, when they were far away from land,
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forced him into a little boat with no tackle, master
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or sail. In their cruelty and hatred, they put his
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little daughter, Miranda, not yet three years old, into the
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boat with him and sailed away, leaving them to their fate.
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But one among the courtiers with Antonio, was true to
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his rightful master, Prosperox. To save the Duke from his
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enemies was impossible, but much could be done to remind
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him of her subject's love. So this worthy lord, whose
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name was Gonzalo, secretly placed in the boats some fresh water,
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provisions and clothes, and what Prospero valued most of all,
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some of his precious books. The boat was cast on
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an island, and Prospero and his little one landed in safety.
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Now this island was enchanted, and for years had lain
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under the spell of a fell witch, Siicorax, who had
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imprisoned in the trunks of trees all the good spirits
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she found there. She died shortly before Prospero was cast
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on those shores, but the spirits of whom Ariel was
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the chief, still remained in their prisons. Prospero was a
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great magician, for he had devoted himself almost entirely to
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the study of magic during the years in which he
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allowed his brother to manage the affairs of Milan. By
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his art, he set free the imprisoned spirits, yet kept
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them obedient to his will, and they were more truly
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his subjects than his people in Milan had been, For
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he treated them kindly as long as they did his bidding,
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and he exercised his power over them wisely and well.
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One creature alone he found it necessary to treat with harshness.
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This was Caliban, the son of the wicked old Witch,
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a hideous, deformed monster, horrible to look on, and vicious
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and brutal in all his habits. When Miranda was grown
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up into a maiden, sweet and fair to see, it
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chanced that an Antonio and Alonso, with Sebastian his brother,
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and Ferdinand his son, were at sea together with Old Gonzalo,
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and their ship came near Prospero's island. Prospero, knowing that
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they were there, raised by his art a great storm,
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so that even the sailors on board gave themselves up
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for lost, and first among them all, Prince Ferdinand, leapt
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into the sea, and, as his father thought in his grief,
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was drowned. But Ariel brought him safe for shore, and
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all the rest of the crew, although they were washed overboard,
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were landed unhurt in different parts of the island, And
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the good ship herself, which they all thought had been wrecked,
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lay at anchor in the harbor. Whether Ariel had brought
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her Such wonders could Prospero and his spirits perform, While
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yet the tempest was raging. Prospero showed his daughter the
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brave ship laboring in the trough of the sea, and
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told her that it was filled with living human beings
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like themselves. She, in pity of their lives, prayed him
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who had raised this storm, to quell it. Then her
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father bade her to have no fear, for he intended
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to save every one of them. Then, for the first time,
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he told the story of his life and hers, and
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that he had caused this storm to rise in order
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that his enemies Antonio and Alonso, who were on board,
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might be delivered into his hands. When he had made
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an end of his story, he charmed her into sleep
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was at hand, and he had worked for him to do. Ariel,
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who longed for his complete freedom, grumbled to be kept
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in drudgery, but, on being threateningly reminded of all the
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sufferings he had undergone when Sikorax ruled in the land,
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and of the debt of gratitude, he owed to the
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master who had made those sufferings to end. He ceased
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to complain and promised faithfully to do whatever Prospero might command.
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Do so, said Prospero, and in two days I will
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discharge thee. Then he bade Ariel take the form of
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a water nymph and sent him in search of the
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young prince, and Ariel, invisible to Ferdinand, hovered near him,
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singing the while.
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Come unto these yeer lors sands, and then take hands
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curtside wheen you ha ha have and kized the wild waves.
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Weeet footed feetly here and the ants sweet spright the
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birdern bell.
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And Ferdinand followed the magic, singing as the song chang'd
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to a solemn air, and the words brought grief to
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his heart and tears to his eyes. For thus they
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ran four fathom five.
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Thy father, loeses of his bones are coral made, those
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are per' that were his eyes. Nothing of him that
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darth fed.
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But doth sar see changed into something rich and strange,
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seen him sourly ring his knell hog.
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No, I hear them home.
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Now I hear them dig a dog bird.
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And so singing, Ariel led the spellbound prince into the
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presence of Prospero and Miranda. Then behold all happen'd as
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Prospero desired for Miranda, who had never since she could
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first remember, seen any human being save her father. Looked
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on the youth for prince, with reverence in her eyes
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and love in her secret heart. I might call him,
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she said, a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever
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saw so noble. And Ferdinand beholding her beauty with wonder
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and delight, exclaimed most sure that Goddess on whom these
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heirs attend. Nor did he attempt to hide the passion
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which she inspired in him, for scarcely had they exchanged
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half a dozen sentences before he vowed to make her
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his queen if she were willing. But Prospero, though secretly delighted,
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pretended wroth. You come here as a spy. He said
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to Ferdinand, I will manacle your neck and feet together,
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and you shall feed on fresh water, muscles, withered roots,
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and husk, and have sea water to drink. Follow No,
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said Ferdinand, and drew his sword, But on the instant
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Prospero charmed him, so that he stood there like a statue,
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still as stone. And Miranda, in terror, prayed to her
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father to have mercy on her lover, but he harshly
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refused her and made Ferdinand follow him to his cell.
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There he set the prince to work making him remove
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thousands of heavy logs of timber and pile them up,
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And Ferdinand patiently obeyed, and thought his toil all too
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well repaid by the sympathy of the sweet Miranda. She,
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in very pity, would have helped him in his hard work,
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but he would not let her. Yet he could not
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keep from her the secret of his love, and she,
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hearing it, rejoiced and promised to be his wife. Then
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Prospero released him from his servitude, and glad at heart,
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he gave his consent to their marriage. Take her, he said,
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she is thine own. In the meantime, Antonio and Sebastian,
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in another part of the island, were plotting the murder
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of Alonzo, the King of Naples, for Ferdinand being dead,
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as they thought Sebastian would succeed to the throne on
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Alonzo's death, and they would have carried out their wicked
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purpose while their victim was asleep, But that Ariel woke
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him in good time. Many tricks did Ariel play them.
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Once he set a banquet before them, and just as
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they were going to fall too, he appeared to them
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amid thunder and lightning, in the form of a harpy,
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and immediately the banquet disappear. Then Ariel upbraided them with
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their sins and vanished too. Prospero, by his enchantments, drew
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them all to the grove without his cell, where they waited,
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trembling and afraid, and now at last bitterly repenting them
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of their sins, Prosperoe determined to make one last use
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of his magic power, and then said he I'll break
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my staff, and deeper than did ever plummet sound, I'll
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drown my book. So he made heavenly music to sound
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in the air, and appeared to them in his proper
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shape as the Duke of Milan. Because they repented, he
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forgave them and told them the story of his life,
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since they had cruelly committed him and his baby daughter
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to the mercy of wind and waves. Alonzo, who seemed
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sorriest of them all for his past crimes, lamented the
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loss of his heir, but Prospero drew back a curtain
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and showed them Ferdinand and Miranda playing at chess. Great
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was Alonzo's joy to greet his loved son again, And
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when he heard that the fair maid with whom Ferdinand
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was playing was Prospero's daughter, and that the young folks
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had plighted their troth, he said, give me your hands.
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Let grief and sorrow still embrace his heart that doth
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not wish you joy. So all ended happily the ship
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was safe in the harbor, and next day they all
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set sail for Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda were to
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be married. Ariel gave them calm seas and auspicious gales,
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and many were the rejoicings at the wedding. Then Prospero,
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after many years of absence, went back to his own dukedom,
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where he was welcomed with great joy by his faithful subjects.
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He practiced the arts of magic no more, but his
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life was happy, and not only because he had found
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his own again, but chiefly because when his bitterest foes,
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who had done him deadly wrong, lay at his mercy,
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he took no vengeance on them, but nobly forgave them.
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As for Ariel, Prospero made him free as air, so
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that he could wander where he would and sing with
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a light heart his sweet song. Where there bees sacks
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their sack eye in a khasibs bear I lie there,
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I couch when owls do cry, when owls do cry,
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when owls do cry. On the bat's back, I do
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fly after her summer merrily, merrily, after her summer merry,
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really merrily merrily. Shall I live now under the blossom
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that hangs on the bar?
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Merrily? Merrily? Shall I live now under the blossom that
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hangs on the bar, under.
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The blossom that hangs on the bar. End of Chapter two.
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Chapter three of the children Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
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All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:17.240
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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by cath Guard The Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt, Chapter three,
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A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hermia and Lysander were lovers, but
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Hermia's father wished her to marry another man named Demetrius.
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Now in Athens, where they lived, there was a wicked
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law by which any girl who refused to marry it
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according to her father's wishes, might be put to death.
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Hermia's father was so angry with her for refusing to
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do as he wished that he actually brought her before
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the Duke of Athens to ask that she might be
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killed if she still refused used to do as he wished.
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The Duke gave her four days to think about it,
470
00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:08.680
and at the end of that time, if she still
471
00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:13.640
refused to marry Demetrius, she would have to die. Lysander,
472
00:30:13.680 --> 00:30:17.240
of course, was nearly mad with grief, and the best
473
00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:20.319
thing to do seemed to him for Hermia to run
474
00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:23.440
away to his aunt's house at a place beyond the
475
00:30:23.480 --> 00:30:26.960
reach of that cruel law, and there he would come
476
00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:30.279
to her and marry her. But before she started, she
477
00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:32.599
told her friend Helena what she was going to do.
478
00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:37.440
Helena had been Demetrius's sweetheart long before his marriage with
479
00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:41.559
Hermia had been thought of, and being very silly like
480
00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:44.880
all jealous people, she could not see that it was
481
00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:48.640
not poor Hermia's fault that Demetrius wished to marry her
482
00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:52.599
instead of his own. Lady Helena, she knew that if
483
00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:56.319
she told Demetrius that Hermia was going as she was
484
00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:00.279
to the wood outside Athens, he would follow her. And
485
00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:03.759
I can follow him, and at least I shall see him,
486
00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:07.440
she said to herself. So she went to him and
487
00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:12.160
betrayed her friend's secret. Now this wood where Lysander was
488
00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:15.680
to meet Hermia, And where the other two had decided
489
00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:19.119
to follow them was full of fairies, as most woods
490
00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:22.880
are if one only had the eyes to see them.
491
00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:25.960
And in this wood, on this night were the King
492
00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:31.000
and Queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania. Now fairies
493
00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:34.039
are very wise people, but now and then they can
494
00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:38.480
be quite as foolish as mortal folk. Oberon and Titania,
495
00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:41.599
who might have been as happy as the days were long,
496
00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:45.240
had thrown away all their joy in a foolish quarrel.
497
00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:49.519
They never met without saying disagreeable things to each other,
498
00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:53.799
and scolded each other so dreadfully that all their little
499
00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:57.960
fairy followers, for fear, would creep into acorn cups and
500
00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:02.400
hide them there. So, instead of keeping one happy court
501
00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:06.000
and dancing all night through in the moonlight, as is
502
00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:10.720
fairy's use, the king with his attendants wandered through one
503
00:32:10.759 --> 00:32:13.720
part of the wood, while the queen with hers kept
504
00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:17.279
state in another. And the cause of all this trouble
505
00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:20.599
was a little Indian boy whom Titania had taken to
506
00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:24.359
be one of her followers. Oberon wanted the child to
507
00:32:24.359 --> 00:32:28.400
follow him and be one of his fairy knights, but
508
00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:32.440
the queen would not give him up. On this night,
509
00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:36.160
in a mossy moonlight glade, the King and Queen of
510
00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:41.759
the fairies met ill met by moonlight. Proud Titania, said
511
00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:46.720
the King, what jealous? Oberon answered the queen. You spoil
512
00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:50.480
everything with your quarreling. Come, fairies, let us leave him.
513
00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:54.160
I am not friends with him. Now it rests with
514
00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:57.599
you to make up the quarrel, said the King. Give
515
00:32:57.640 --> 00:33:01.000
me that little Indian boy, and I will again be
516
00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:05.240
your humble servant and suitor. Set your mind at rest,
517
00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:09.559
said the queen. Your whole fairy kingdom buys not that
518
00:33:09.799 --> 00:33:14.799
boy from me. Come fairies, and she and her train
519
00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:20.759
rode off down the moonbeams. Well go your ways, said Oberon,
520
00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:24.519
but I'll be even with you before you leave this wood.
521
00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:30.160
Then Oberon called his favorite fairy Puck. Puck was the
522
00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:34.240
spirit of mischief. He used to slip into the dairies
523
00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:37.319
and take the cream away and get into the churn
524
00:33:37.480 --> 00:33:39.960
so that the butter would not come, and turn the
525
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:43.079
beer sour, and lead people out of their way on
526
00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:46.759
dark nights, and then laugh at them and tumble people's
527
00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:49.240
stools from under them when they were going to sit
528
00:33:49.319 --> 00:33:53.359
down and upset their hot ale over their chins when
529
00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:57.400
they were going to drink. Now, said Oberon to this
530
00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:01.720
little sprite, fetch me the flower called love in idleness.
531
00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:05.880
The juice of that little purple flower, laid on the
532
00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:09.039
eyes of those who sleep, will make them when they
533
00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:12.440
wake to love the first thing they see. I will
534
00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:14.559
put some of the juice of that flower on my
535
00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:18.719
Titania's eyes, and when she wakes, she will love the
536
00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:22.599
first thing she sees, were it lion, bear, or wolf,
537
00:34:22.760 --> 00:34:27.440
or bull, or meddling monkey or a busy ape. While
538
00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:31.559
Puck was gone, Demetrius passed through the glade, followed by
539
00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:35.800
poor Helena, and still she told him how she loved him,
540
00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:39.920
and reminded him of all his promises, And still he
541
00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:42.519
told her that he did not and could not love her,
542
00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:47.280
and that his promises were nothing. Oberon was sorry for
543
00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:51.559
poor Helena, and when Puck returned with the flower, he
544
00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:54.800
bade him follow Demetrius and put some of the juice
545
00:34:54.800 --> 00:34:58.119
on his eyes, so that he might love Helena when
546
00:34:58.159 --> 00:35:01.239
he awoke and looked on her as much as she
547
00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:06.559
loved him. So Puck set off, and wandering through the wood,
548
00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:10.960
found not Demetrius but Lysander, on whose eyes he put
549
00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:15.280
the juice. But when Lysander woke, he saw not his
550
00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:19.079
own Hermia, but Helena, who was walking through the wood
551
00:35:19.559 --> 00:35:24.000
looking for the cruel Demetrius, and directly he saw her,
552
00:35:24.440 --> 00:35:27.719
he loved her and left his own lady under the
553
00:35:27.719 --> 00:35:32.679
spell of the Crimson flower. When Hermia woke, she found
554
00:35:32.760 --> 00:35:37.119
Lysander gone and wandered about the wood trying to find him.
555
00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:40.760
Puck went back and told Oberon what he had done,
556
00:35:41.480 --> 00:35:44.239
and Oberon soon found that he had made a mistake
557
00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:48.599
and set about looking for Demetrius, and having found him,
558
00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:52.400
put some other juice on his eyes. And the first
559
00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:56.440
thing Demetrius saw when he woke was also Helena. So
560
00:35:56.599 --> 00:36:01.039
now Demetrius and Lysander were both following her through the wood,
561
00:36:01.559 --> 00:36:04.519
and it was Hermia's turn to follow her lover, as
562
00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:07.519
Helena had done before the end of it was that
563
00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:11.719
Helena and Hermia began to quarrel, and Demetrius and Lysander
564
00:36:11.760 --> 00:36:15.760
went off to fight. Oberon was very sorry to see
565
00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:19.480
his kind scheme to help those lovers turn out so badly,
566
00:36:20.199 --> 00:36:24.039
so he said to Puck, these two young men are
567
00:36:24.079 --> 00:36:27.880
going to fight. You must overhang the night with drooping
568
00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:32.119
fog and lead them so astray that one will never
569
00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:36.000
find the other. When they are tired out, they will
570
00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:40.679
fall asleep. Then drop this other herb on Lysander's eyes,
571
00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:44.559
that will give him his old sight and his old love.
572
00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:48.639
Then each man will have the lady who loves him,
573
00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:51.679
and they will all think that this has been only
574
00:36:51.800 --> 00:36:55.800
a midsummer night's dream. Then, when this is done, or
575
00:36:55.880 --> 00:36:59.039
will be well with them. So Puck went and did
576
00:36:59.079 --> 00:37:02.440
as he was told. And when the two had fallen
577
00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:05.920
asleep without meeting each other, Puck poured the juice on
578
00:37:06.039 --> 00:37:11.719
Lysander's eyes and said, when thou wakest, thou takest true
579
00:37:11.800 --> 00:37:16.280
delight in the sight of thy former lady's eye, Jack
580
00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:20.039
shall have chill, naught shall go ill, the man shall
581
00:37:20.039 --> 00:37:24.360
have his mare again, and all shall be well. Meanwhile,
582
00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:29.039
Oberon found Titania asleep on a bank where grew wild thyme,
583
00:37:29.239 --> 00:37:34.320
ox lips and violets, and wood bine, musk roses and egglantine.
584
00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:38.719
There Titania always slept a part of the night, wrapped
585
00:37:38.719 --> 00:37:42.480
in the enameled skin of a snake. Oberon stooped over
586
00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:45.960
her and laid the juice on her eyes, saying, what
587
00:37:46.159 --> 00:37:50.360
thou seest, when thou wake, do it for thy true love.
588
00:37:50.519 --> 00:37:55.760
Take now. It happened that when Titania woke, the first
589
00:37:55.800 --> 00:37:59.480
thing she saw was a stupid clown, one of a
590
00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:02.719
party of players who had come out into the wood
591
00:38:02.760 --> 00:38:06.440
to rehearse their play. This clown had met with Puck,
592
00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:10.039
who had clapped an ass's head on his shoulders so
593
00:38:10.079 --> 00:38:13.920
that it looked as if it grew there. Directly Titania
594
00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:18.559
woke and saw this dreadful monster. She said, what angel
595
00:38:18.679 --> 00:38:22.400
is this? Are you as wise as you are beautiful?
596
00:38:23.719 --> 00:38:26.199
If I am wise enough to find my way out
597
00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:29.880
of this wood, that's enough for me, said the foolish clown.
598
00:38:30.800 --> 00:38:33.920
Do not desire to go out of the wood, said Titania.
599
00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:37.519
The spell of the love juice was on her, and
600
00:38:37.599 --> 00:38:41.239
to her the clowns seemed the most beautiful and delightful
601
00:38:41.280 --> 00:38:45.400
creature on all the earth. I love you, she went on,
602
00:38:46.320 --> 00:38:49.159
Come with me, and I will give you fairies to
603
00:38:49.239 --> 00:38:54.199
attend on you. So she called four fairies, whose names
604
00:38:54.239 --> 00:39:00.199
were peaseblossom, cobweb moth, and mustard seed. You must to
605
00:39:00.280 --> 00:39:03.920
tend this gentleman, said the queen. Feed him with apron
606
00:39:03.960 --> 00:39:09.719
cuts and dewberries. Purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries, steal
607
00:39:09.760 --> 00:39:13.039
honeybags for him from the humble bees, and with the
608
00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:17.599
wings of painted butterflies, fanned the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.
609
00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:21.199
I will, said one of the fairies, and all the
610
00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:26.440
others said I will. Now sit down with me, said
611
00:39:26.480 --> 00:39:29.599
the queen to the clown, and let me stroke your
612
00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:34.440
dear cheeks, and stick musk roses in your smooth sleek head,
613
00:39:35.039 --> 00:39:39.679
and kiss your fair large ears. My gentle joy, where's
614
00:39:39.719 --> 00:39:43.639
peas blossom? Asked the clown with the ass's head. He
615
00:39:43.760 --> 00:39:46.920
did not care much about the queen's affection, but he
616
00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:50.760
was very proud of having fairies to wait on him. Ready,
617
00:39:51.119 --> 00:39:55.239
said pease Blossom. Scratch my head, pease Blossom, said the clown.
618
00:39:55.800 --> 00:40:01.519
Where's Cobweb? Ready? Said Cobweb? Fill me, said the clown.
619
00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:04.639
The red humble bee on the top of the thistle.
620
00:40:04.760 --> 00:40:10.000
Yonder and bring me the honey bag. Where's mustard seed? Ready?
621
00:40:10.519 --> 00:40:14.519
Said mustard seed? Oh I want nothing, said the clown.
622
00:40:14.920 --> 00:40:18.599
Only just help Cobweb to scratch. I must go to
623
00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:22.440
the barber's for methinks. I am marvelous hairy about the face.
624
00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:26.320
Would you like anything to eat, said the fairy queen.
625
00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:30.320
I should like some good dry oats, said the clown,
626
00:40:30.760 --> 00:40:34.760
for his donkey's head made him desire donkey's food and
627
00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:39.519
some hay to follow. Shall some of my fairies fetch
628
00:40:39.559 --> 00:40:42.440
you new nuts from the squirrel's house, asked the queen.
629
00:40:43.159 --> 00:40:46.760
I'd rather have a handful or two of good dried peas,
630
00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:50.079
said the clown. But please don't let any of your
631
00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:54.400
people disturb me. I am going to sleep, then, said
632
00:40:54.440 --> 00:40:58.199
the queen, and I will wind thee in my arms.
633
00:40:58.960 --> 00:41:02.800
And so when open came along, he found his beautiful
634
00:41:02.840 --> 00:41:06.599
queen lavishing kisses and endearments on a clown with the
635
00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:10.920
donkey's head, And before he released her from the enchantment,
636
00:41:11.559 --> 00:41:14.280
he persuaded her to give him the little Indian boy
637
00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:18.519
he so much desired to have. Then he took pity
638
00:41:18.559 --> 00:41:22.239
on her and threw some juice of the disenchanting flower
639
00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:25.920
on her pretty eyes. And then in a moment, she
640
00:41:26.039 --> 00:41:29.119
saw plainly the donkey headed clown she had been loving,
641
00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:33.440
and knew how foolish she had been. Oberon took off
642
00:41:33.480 --> 00:41:36.559
the ass's head from the clown and left him to
643
00:41:36.639 --> 00:41:40.559
finish his sleep with his own silly head, lying on
644
00:41:40.639 --> 00:41:45.119
the time and violets. Thus all was made plain and
645
00:41:45.159 --> 00:41:49.800
straight again. Oberon and Titania loved each other more than ever.
646
00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:54.960
Demetrius thought of no one but Helena, and Helena had
647
00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:58.760
never had any thought of any one but Demetrius. As
648
00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:02.599
for Hermia and Lysata, they were as loving a couple
649
00:42:02.679 --> 00:42:05.679
as you could meet in a day's march, even through
650
00:42:05.719 --> 00:42:09.679
a fairywood. So the four mortal lovers went back to
651
00:42:09.719 --> 00:42:13.679
Athens and were married, And the fairy king and Queen
652
00:42:14.199 --> 00:42:18.039
live happily together in that very wood at this very day.
653
00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:34.480
End of Chapter three A Midsummer Night's Dream.
654
00:42:30.360 --> 00:42:34.840
Chapter four of The Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
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00:42:35.400 --> 00:42:38.800
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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00:42:38.840 --> 00:42:45.000
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:51.599
by Elisabeth Klett. The children Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt. Chapter four,
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00:42:52.679 --> 00:42:57.920
King Lear King Leir was old and tired. He was
659
00:42:57.960 --> 00:43:00.639
a weary of the business of his kingdom, and wished
660
00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:03.760
only to end his days quietly near his three daughters,
661
00:43:03.960 --> 00:43:07.639
whom he loved dearly. Two of his daughters were married
662
00:43:07.639 --> 00:43:10.400
to the dukes of Albany and Cornwall, and the Duke
663
00:43:10.440 --> 00:43:12.880
of Burgundy and Thinking of France were both staying at
664
00:43:12.960 --> 00:43:16.519
Leir's court as suitors for the hand of Cordelia, his
665
00:43:16.679 --> 00:43:21.519
youngest daughter. Leir called his three daughters together and told
666
00:43:21.559 --> 00:43:24.960
them that he proposed to divide his kingdom between them,
667
00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:28.559
but first said he I should like to know how
668
00:43:28.679 --> 00:43:32.519
much you love me. Goneril, who was really a very
669
00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:35.360
wicked woman and did not love her father at all,
670
00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:38.920
said she loved him more than words could say. She
671
00:43:39.000 --> 00:43:44.800
loved him dearer than eyesight, space or liberty, more than life, grace, health,
672
00:43:44.960 --> 00:43:48.920
beauty and honor. If you love me as much as this,
673
00:43:49.400 --> 00:43:52.000
said the king, I give you a third part of
674
00:43:52.039 --> 00:43:56.440
my kingdom. And how much does Reagan love me? I
675
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:59.920
love you as much as my sister and more professed real,
676
00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:04.480
since I care for nothing but my father's love. Leir
677
00:44:04.679 --> 00:44:08.000
was very much pleased with Reagan's professions and gave her
678
00:44:08.039 --> 00:44:11.320
another third part of his fair kingdom. Then he turned
679
00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:17.679
his youngest daughter, Cordelia, now our joy, though last not least,
680
00:44:17.920 --> 00:44:20.559
He said, the best part of my kingdom have I
681
00:44:20.639 --> 00:44:25.159
kept for you? What can you say? Nothing, my Lord
682
00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:33.920
answered Cordelia, nothing, nothing, said Cordelia. Nothing can come of nothing.
683
00:44:34.360 --> 00:44:39.960
Speak again, said the king, and Cordelia answered, I love
684
00:44:39.960 --> 00:44:44.519
your Majesty according to my duty, no more, no less.
685
00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:47.440
And this she said because she knew her sister's wicked
686
00:44:47.480 --> 00:44:50.199
hearts and was disgusted with the way in which they
687
00:44:50.199 --> 00:44:54.159
professed unbounded and impossible love, when really they had not
688
00:44:54.280 --> 00:44:56.840
even a right sense of duty to their old father.
689
00:44:57.880 --> 00:45:00.760
I am your daughter, she went on, and you have
690
00:45:00.840 --> 00:45:03.320
brought me up and loved me, and I return you
691
00:45:03.360 --> 00:45:07.079
those duties back as a right fit. Obey you, love you,
692
00:45:07.239 --> 00:45:11.559
and most honor you. Leir, who loved Cordelia best, had
693
00:45:11.599 --> 00:45:14.480
wished her to make more extravagant professions of love than
694
00:45:14.519 --> 00:45:17.519
her sisters, and what seemed to him her coldness so
695
00:45:17.639 --> 00:45:21.320
angered him that he bade her begone from his sight. Go,
696
00:45:21.880 --> 00:45:25.159
he said, be for ever a stranger to my heart
697
00:45:25.239 --> 00:45:29.519
and me. The Earl of Kent, one of Leir's favorite
698
00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:33.440
courtiers and captains, tried to say a word for Cordelia's sake,
699
00:45:33.719 --> 00:45:37.159
but Leir would not listen. He divided the remaining part
700
00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:40.280
of his kingdom between Goneril and Reagan, who had pleased
701
00:45:40.360 --> 00:45:43.320
him with their foolish flattery, and told them that he
702
00:45:43.360 --> 00:45:46.239
should only keep a hundred knights at arms for his following,
703
00:45:46.519 --> 00:45:49.840
and would live with his daughters by turns. When the
704
00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:52.760
Duke of Burgundy knew that Cordelia would have no share
705
00:45:52.760 --> 00:45:55.320
of the kingdom, he gave up his courtship of her.
706
00:45:55.880 --> 00:45:58.920
But the King of France was wiser and said to
707
00:45:59.000 --> 00:46:05.639
herrest Cordelia, thou art, most rich, being poor, most choice, forsaken,
708
00:46:06.039 --> 00:46:10.639
and most loved, despised thee and thy virtues. Here I
709
00:46:10.760 --> 00:46:14.960
seize upon thy dowerless daughter. King is queen of us,
710
00:46:14.960 --> 00:46:19.559
of ours and our fair France. Take her. Take her,
711
00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:23.119
said the king, for I have no such daughter and
712
00:46:23.239 --> 00:46:26.639
will never see that face of hers again. So Cordelia
713
00:46:26.679 --> 00:46:29.480
became Queen of France, and the Earl of Kent, for
714
00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:32.159
having ventured to take her part, was banished from the
715
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:35.519
King's court and from the kingdom. The king now went
716
00:46:35.599 --> 00:46:38.440
to stay with his daughter Goneril, and very soon began
717
00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:41.440
to find out how much fair words were worth. She
718
00:46:41.519 --> 00:46:43.840
had got everything from her father that he had to give,
719
00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:46.639
and she began to grudge even the hundred knights that
720
00:46:46.679 --> 00:46:50.159
he had reserved for himself. She frowned at him whenever
721
00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:53.519
she met him, She herself was harsh and undutiful to him,
722
00:46:53.760 --> 00:46:56.960
and her servants treated him with neglect and either refused
723
00:46:57.000 --> 00:46:59.440
to obey his orders or pretended that they did not
724
00:46:59.559 --> 00:47:03.079
hear them. Now, the Earl of Kent, when he was banished,
725
00:47:03.159 --> 00:47:05.679
made as though he would go into another country, but
726
00:47:05.800 --> 00:47:07.960
instead he came back in the disguise of a serving
727
00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:11.039
man and took service with the king, who never suspected
728
00:47:11.079 --> 00:47:13.440
him to be that Earl of Kent, whom he himself
729
00:47:13.480 --> 00:47:16.800
had banished. The very same day that Leir engaged him
730
00:47:16.840 --> 00:47:20.239
as his servant, Goneril's steward insulted the king, and the
731
00:47:20.280 --> 00:47:22.920
Earl of Kent showed his respect for the king's majesty
732
00:47:23.039 --> 00:47:26.199
by tripping up the caitiff into the gutter. The king
733
00:47:26.280 --> 00:47:29.079
had now two friends, the Earl of Kent, whom he
734
00:47:29.159 --> 00:47:32.039
only knew as his servant, and his fool, who was
735
00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:34.719
faithful to him. Although he had given away his kingdom.
736
00:47:35.239 --> 00:47:38.639
Goneril was not contented with letting her father suffer insults
737
00:47:38.679 --> 00:47:41.280
at the hands of her servants. She told him plainly
738
00:47:41.360 --> 00:47:43.599
that his train of one hundred knights only served to
739
00:47:43.639 --> 00:47:46.079
fill her court with riot and feasting. And so she
740
00:47:46.159 --> 00:47:48.920
begged him to dismiss them and only keep a few
741
00:47:49.000 --> 00:47:52.960
old men about him, such as himself. My train are
742
00:47:52.960 --> 00:47:56.320
men who know all parts of duty, said Leir. Saddle
743
00:47:56.360 --> 00:47:59.639
my horses, call my train together, Goneril, I will not
744
00:47:59.719 --> 00:48:03.880
trouble you further. Yet I have left another daughter, And
745
00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:07.159
he cursed his daughter, Goneril, praying that she might never
746
00:48:07.199 --> 00:48:09.920
have a child, or that if she had, it might
747
00:48:09.960 --> 00:48:13.079
treat her as cruelly as she had treated him. And
748
00:48:13.239 --> 00:48:16.280
his horses being saddled, he set out with his followers
749
00:48:16.280 --> 00:48:19.360
for the castle of Reagan. His other daughter, Leir sent
750
00:48:19.400 --> 00:48:22.079
on his servant Caius, who was really the Earl of Kent,
751
00:48:22.440 --> 00:48:24.800
with letters to his daughter to say that he was coming.
752
00:48:25.320 --> 00:48:28.679
But Caius fell in with a messenger of Goneril, in fact,
753
00:48:28.719 --> 00:48:30.880
that very steward, whom he had tripped into the gutter,
754
00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:33.920
and beat him soundly for the mischief maker that he was.
755
00:48:34.519 --> 00:48:37.559
And Reagan, when she heard it, put Caius in the stocks,
756
00:48:37.880 --> 00:48:40.360
not respecting him as a messenger coming from her father.
757
00:48:41.079 --> 00:48:43.679
And she, who had formerly outdone her sister in professions
758
00:48:43.679 --> 00:48:46.880
of attachment to the king, now seemed to outdo her
759
00:48:46.920 --> 00:48:50.760
in undutiful conduct, saying that fifty knights were too many
760
00:48:50.760 --> 00:48:53.400
to wait on him, that five and twenty were enough.
761
00:48:53.920 --> 00:48:57.320
And Goneril, who had hurried thither to prevent Reagan showing
762
00:48:57.320 --> 00:49:00.559
any kindness to the old king, said five and twenty
763
00:49:00.599 --> 00:49:03.880
were too many, or even ten, or even five, since
764
00:49:03.920 --> 00:49:10.480
her servants could wait on him, what need one, said Reagan. Then,
765
00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:13.400
when leirs saw that what they really wanted was to
766
00:49:13.519 --> 00:49:16.119
drive him away from them, he cursed them both and
767
00:49:16.320 --> 00:49:19.760
left them. It was a wild and stormy night, Yet
768
00:49:19.800 --> 00:49:22.639
those cruel daughters did not care what became of their
769
00:49:22.639 --> 00:49:25.119
father in the cold and the rain, but they shut
770
00:49:25.159 --> 00:49:28.239
the castle doors and went in out of the storm.
771
00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:32.199
All night he wandered about the heath, half mad with misery,
772
00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:35.760
and with no companion but the poor fool. But presently
773
00:49:35.800 --> 00:49:39.199
his servant, Caius, the Good Earl of Kent, met him,
774
00:49:39.519 --> 00:49:41.800
and at last persuaded him to lie down in a
775
00:49:41.840 --> 00:49:45.480
wretched little hovel which stood upon the heath. At daybreak,
776
00:49:45.519 --> 00:49:47.920
the Earl of Kent removed his royal master to Dover,
777
00:49:48.239 --> 00:49:50.480
where his old friends were, and then hurried to the
778
00:49:50.480 --> 00:49:54.440
court of France and told Cordelia what had happened. Her
779
00:49:54.519 --> 00:49:57.079
husband gave her an army to go to the assistance
780
00:49:57.159 --> 00:49:59.960
of her father, and with it she landed at Dover.
781
00:50:00.559 --> 00:50:04.400
Here she found poor King Leir, now quite mad, wandering
782
00:50:04.440 --> 00:50:07.480
about the fields, singing aloud to himself, and wearing a
783
00:50:07.480 --> 00:50:10.559
crown of nettles and weeds. They brought him back and
784
00:50:10.599 --> 00:50:13.360
fed and clothed him, and the doctors gave him such
785
00:50:13.400 --> 00:50:15.480
medicines as they thought might bring him back to his
786
00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:18.840
right mind. And by and by he woke better, but
787
00:50:18.920 --> 00:50:22.440
still not quite himself. Then Cordelia came to him and
788
00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:25.880
kissed him to make up as she said for her sisters.
789
00:50:26.199 --> 00:50:30.159
At first he hardly knew her. Pray, do not mock me,
790
00:50:30.599 --> 00:50:33.760
he said, I am a very foolish, fond old man.
791
00:50:34.039 --> 00:50:37.440
Forescore and upward, and to deal plainly. I fear I
792
00:50:37.440 --> 00:50:40.599
am not in my perfect mind. I think I should
793
00:50:40.639 --> 00:50:43.280
know you, though I do not know these garments, nor
794
00:50:43.320 --> 00:50:46.320
do I know where I lodged last night. Do not
795
00:50:46.440 --> 00:50:49.280
laugh at me, though as I am a man, I
796
00:50:49.360 --> 00:50:53.760
think this lady must be my daughter Cordelia, And so
797
00:50:53.960 --> 00:50:59.199
I am I am, cried Cordelia. Come with me. You
798
00:50:59.280 --> 00:51:03.360
must bear with me, said lear, forget and forgive I
799
00:51:03.400 --> 00:51:07.159
am old and foolish, and now he knew at last
800
00:51:07.199 --> 00:51:09.719
which of his children it was that had loved him best,
801
00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:12.400
and who was worthy of his love. And from that
802
00:51:12.559 --> 00:51:16.159
time they were not parted. Goneril and Reagan joined their
803
00:51:16.280 --> 00:51:20.679
armies to fight Cordelia's army, and were successful, and Cordelia
804
00:51:20.719 --> 00:51:24.280
and her father were thrown into prison. Then Goneril's husband,
805
00:51:24.360 --> 00:51:26.559
the Duke of Albany, who was a good man and
806
00:51:26.639 --> 00:51:29.119
had not known how wicked his wife, was, heard the
807
00:51:29.199 --> 00:51:32.039
truth of the whole story. And when Goneril found that
808
00:51:32.079 --> 00:51:34.320
her husband knew her for the wicked woman she was,
809
00:51:34.719 --> 00:51:37.639
she killed herself, having a little time before given a
810
00:51:37.679 --> 00:51:40.679
deadly poison to her sister Reagan out of a spirit
811
00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:44.239
of jealousy. But they had arranged that Cordelia should be
812
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:47.079
hanged in prison, and though the Duke of Albany sent
813
00:51:47.159 --> 00:51:51.039
messengers at once, it was too late. The old king
814
00:51:51.159 --> 00:51:53.400
came staggering into the tent of the Duke of Albany,
815
00:51:53.719 --> 00:51:57.320
carrying the body of his dear daughter Cordelia in his arms.
816
00:51:57.880 --> 00:52:01.199
Oh she is gone forever, he said, I know when
817
00:52:01.239 --> 00:52:04.360
one is dead and when one lives. She's dead as earth.
818
00:52:05.360 --> 00:52:09.639
They crowded round in horror. Oh if she lives, said
819
00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:12.079
the king, it is a chance that does redeem all
820
00:52:12.159 --> 00:52:15.320
sorrows that I have ever left. The Earl of Kent
821
00:52:15.440 --> 00:52:17.840
spoke a word to him, but Leir was too mad
822
00:52:17.920 --> 00:52:21.840
to listen. A plague upon you, murderous traitors. All I
823
00:52:21.960 --> 00:52:27.480
might have saved her. Now she is gone forever, Cordelia. Cordelia,
824
00:52:27.639 --> 00:52:32.079
stay a little. Her voice was ever low, gentle and soft,
825
00:52:32.119 --> 00:52:35.400
an excellent thing in woman. I killed the slave that
826
00:52:35.480 --> 00:52:39.320
was hanging thee tis true, my lords, he did, said
827
00:52:39.320 --> 00:52:42.760
one of the officers from the castle. Oh thou wilt
828
00:52:42.760 --> 00:52:46.280
come no more, cried the poor old man. Do you
829
00:52:46.400 --> 00:52:50.880
see this? Look on her? Look her lips, look there,
830
00:52:51.440 --> 00:52:55.320
look there. And with that he fell with her still
831
00:52:55.320 --> 00:52:59.360
in his arms, and died. And this was the end
832
00:52:59.559 --> 00:53:04.280
of Leir and Cordelia. End of chapter.
833
00:53:03.960 --> 00:53:14.440
Four Chapter five of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a
834
00:53:14.480 --> 00:53:18.519
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
835
00:53:19.119 --> 00:53:24.159
For more information or to volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org.
836
00:53:25.199 --> 00:53:32.199
Read by Dennis Sayers, The Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit,
837
00:53:33.119 --> 00:53:39.480
Chapter five Cymbeline. Cymbeline was the King of Britain, he
838
00:53:39.559 --> 00:53:43.079
had three children. The two sons were stolen away from
839
00:53:43.119 --> 00:53:46.199
him when they were quite little children, and he was
840
00:53:46.320 --> 00:53:50.960
left with only one daughter, Imagen. The King was married
841
00:53:50.960 --> 00:53:54.800
a second time and brought up Leonatus, the son of
842
00:53:54.880 --> 00:53:59.599
a dead friend, as Imagen's playfellow, and when Leonatus was
843
00:53:59.639 --> 00:54:04.679
old enough enough, Imaging secretly married him. This made the
844
00:54:04.760 --> 00:54:09.239
king and queen very angry, and the king, to punish Leonatus,
845
00:54:09.800 --> 00:54:16.000
banished him from Britain. Poor Imaging was nearly heartbroken at
846
00:54:16.079 --> 00:54:21.239
parting from Leonatus, and he was not less unhappy, for
847
00:54:21.480 --> 00:54:25.599
they were not only lovers and husband and wife, but
848
00:54:25.920 --> 00:54:28.760
they had been friends and comrades ever since they were
849
00:54:28.840 --> 00:54:33.400
quite little children. With many tears and kisses, they said
850
00:54:33.800 --> 00:54:38.239
good bye. They promised never to forget each other, and
851
00:54:38.320 --> 00:54:41.119
that they would never care for any one else as
852
00:54:41.199 --> 00:54:46.280
long as they lived. This diamond was my mother's love,
853
00:54:46.880 --> 00:54:50.639
said Imojan, take it my heart and keep it as
854
00:54:50.719 --> 00:54:57.400
long as you love me. Sweetest fairest, answered Leonatus, where
855
00:54:57.760 --> 00:55:04.039
this bracelet for my sake? Ah, cried Imaging, weeping, When
856
00:55:04.360 --> 00:55:08.000
shall we meet again? And while they were still in
857
00:55:08.079 --> 00:55:11.920
each other's arms, the king came in and Leonatus had
858
00:55:11.920 --> 00:55:17.639
to leave without more farewell. When he was come to Rome,
859
00:55:18.199 --> 00:55:20.320
where he had gone to stay with an old friend
860
00:55:20.360 --> 00:55:24.079
of his father's, he spent his days still in thinking
861
00:55:24.119 --> 00:55:28.400
of his dear Imaging, and his knights in dreaming of her.
862
00:55:29.199 --> 00:55:33.360
One day, at a feast, some Italian and French noblemen
863
00:55:33.400 --> 00:55:37.159
were talking of their sweethearts and swearing that they were
864
00:55:37.199 --> 00:55:41.119
the most faithful and honorable ladies in the world. And
865
00:55:41.199 --> 00:55:45.360
the frenchman reminded Leonatus how he had said many times
866
00:55:45.719 --> 00:55:50.599
that his wife, Imaging was more fair, wise and constant
867
00:55:50.639 --> 00:55:53.199
than any of the rest of the ladies in France.
868
00:55:54.280 --> 00:55:59.119
I say so, still, said Leonatus. She is not so good,
869
00:55:59.280 --> 00:56:03.599
But that she would deceive, said Yachimo, one of the
870
00:56:03.719 --> 00:56:11.039
Italian nobles. She never would deceive, said Leonatus. I wager,
871
00:56:11.519 --> 00:56:14.920
said Yachimo, that if I go to Britain, I can
872
00:56:14.960 --> 00:56:18.679
persuade your wife to do whatever I wish, even if
873
00:56:18.679 --> 00:56:23.159
it should be against your wishes. That you will never do,
874
00:56:23.480 --> 00:56:28.280
said Leonatus. I wager this ring upon my finger, which
875
00:56:28.400 --> 00:56:32.119
was the very ring Imaging had given him at parting,
876
00:56:32.760 --> 00:56:36.519
that my wife will keep all vows to me, and
877
00:56:36.559 --> 00:56:40.360
that you will never persuade her to do otherwise. So
878
00:56:40.800 --> 00:56:46.360
Yachimo wagered half his estate against the ring on Leonatus's finger,
879
00:56:46.719 --> 00:56:50.599
and started forthwith to Britain with a letter of introduction
880
00:56:51.079 --> 00:56:55.519
to Leonatus's wife. When he reached there, he was received
881
00:56:55.599 --> 00:56:59.360
with all kindness, but he was still determined to win
882
00:56:59.480 --> 00:57:04.639
his wager. He told Imajan that her husband thought no
883
00:57:04.800 --> 00:57:07.960
more of her, and went on to tell many cruel
884
00:57:08.079 --> 00:57:13.320
lies about him. Imajing listened at first, but presently perceived
885
00:57:13.360 --> 00:57:17.320
what a wicked person Jakimo was and ordered him to
886
00:57:17.440 --> 00:57:22.559
leave her. Then he said, pardon me, fair lady. All
887
00:57:22.599 --> 00:57:26.719
that I have said is untrue. I only told you
888
00:57:26.840 --> 00:57:29.800
this to see whether you would believe me or whether
889
00:57:29.960 --> 00:57:33.519
you were as much to be trusted as your husband thinks.
890
00:57:34.360 --> 00:57:39.360
Will you forgive me? I forgive you freely, said Imajan.
891
00:57:40.679 --> 00:57:44.679
Then went on, Jakimo, perhaps you will prove it by
892
00:57:44.719 --> 00:57:48.760
taking charge of a trunk containing a number of jewels,
893
00:57:49.079 --> 00:57:52.480
which your husband and I and some other gentlemen have
894
00:57:52.840 --> 00:57:58.519
bought as a present for the Emperor of Rome. I will, indeed,
895
00:57:58.679 --> 00:58:02.400
said Imajan, do anything for my husband. And a friend
896
00:58:02.440 --> 00:58:05.920
of my husband's have the jewels sent it to my room,
897
00:58:06.440 --> 00:58:09.760
and I will take care of them. It is only
898
00:58:09.800 --> 00:58:14.599
for one night, said Jakimo, for I leave Britain again tomorrow.
899
00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:19.079
So the trunk was carried into Emma Jean's room, and
900
00:58:19.119 --> 00:58:22.800
that night she went to bed and to sleep. When
901
00:58:22.800 --> 00:58:26.000
she was fast asleep, the lid of the trunk opened
902
00:58:26.239 --> 00:58:31.079
and a man got out. It was Jakimo. The story
903
00:58:31.119 --> 00:58:34.400
about the jewels was as untrue as the rest of
904
00:58:34.440 --> 00:58:37.280
the things he had said. He had only wished to
905
00:58:37.280 --> 00:58:41.880
get into her room to win his wicked wager. He
906
00:58:41.920 --> 00:58:45.400
looked about him and noticed the furniture, and then crept
907
00:58:45.480 --> 00:58:48.719
to the side of the bed where Emma Jean was asleep,
908
00:58:49.239 --> 00:58:53.119
and took from her arm the gold bracelet, which had
909
00:58:53.159 --> 00:58:57.719
been the parting gift of her husband. Then he crept
910
00:58:57.960 --> 00:59:03.760
back to the trunk. Next morning sailed for Rome. When
911
00:59:03.760 --> 00:59:07.639
he met Leonatus, he said, I have been to Britain
912
00:59:08.119 --> 00:59:11.760
and I have won the wager. For your wife no
913
00:59:11.880 --> 00:59:16.239
longer thinks about you. She stayed talking with me all
914
00:59:16.320 --> 00:59:20.559
one night in her room, which is hung with tapestry
915
00:59:20.599 --> 00:59:25.000
and has a carved chimney piece and silver and irons
916
00:59:25.079 --> 00:59:31.360
in the shape of two winking cupids. I do not
917
00:59:31.519 --> 00:59:34.440
believe she has forgotten me. I do not believe she
918
00:59:34.599 --> 00:59:38.199
stayed talking with you in her room. You have heard
919
00:59:38.239 --> 00:59:45.320
her room described by the servants, Ah, said Jackimo. But
920
00:59:46.079 --> 00:59:50.400
she gave me this bracelet. She took it from her
921
00:59:50.519 --> 00:59:57.000
arm I see her. Yet her pretty action did outsell
922
00:59:57.159 --> 01:00:01.880
her gift, and yet enriched it too. She gave it
923
01:00:01.920 --> 01:00:07.599
me and said she prized it once. Take the ring,
924
01:00:07.960 --> 01:00:11.519
cried Leonatus. You have won, and you might have won
925
01:00:11.559 --> 01:00:14.840
my life as well, for I care nothing for it.
926
01:00:14.920 --> 01:00:20.480
Now I know my lady has forgotten me. And mad
927
01:00:20.639 --> 01:00:23.760
with anger, he wrote letters to Britain to his old
928
01:00:23.840 --> 01:00:28.840
servant Pisano, ordering him to take Imogen to Milford Haven
929
01:00:29.360 --> 01:00:33.960
and to murder her because she had forgotten him and
930
01:00:34.079 --> 01:00:37.559
given away his gift. At the same time, he wrote
931
01:00:37.559 --> 01:00:41.920
to Emma jan herself, telling her to go with Pisanio,
932
01:00:42.440 --> 01:00:47.239
his old servant, to Milford Haven, and that he her husband,
933
01:00:48.199 --> 01:00:52.000
would be there to meet her now. When Pisanio got
934
01:00:52.039 --> 01:00:55.920
this letter, he was too good to carry out its
935
01:00:56.039 --> 01:01:00.679
orders and too wise to let them alone altogether. So
936
01:01:00.840 --> 01:01:04.519
he gave Imaging the letter from her husband and started
937
01:01:04.559 --> 01:01:09.159
with her for Milford Haven. Before he left, the wicked
938
01:01:09.239 --> 01:01:12.960
queen gave him a drink which she said would be
939
01:01:13.159 --> 01:01:16.719
useful in sickness. She hoped he would give it to
940
01:01:16.840 --> 01:01:21.039
Imajan and that Imaging would die, and then the wicked
941
01:01:21.320 --> 01:01:25.719
Queen's son could be king. For the queen thought this
942
01:01:25.880 --> 01:01:29.920
drink was a poison, but really and truly it was
943
01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:35.320
only a sleeping draft. When Pissanio and Imaging came near
944
01:01:35.440 --> 01:01:38.679
to Milford Haven, he told her what was really in
945
01:01:38.760 --> 01:01:43.000
the letter he had had from her husband. I must
946
01:01:43.199 --> 01:01:47.199
go on to Rome and see him myself, said Imaging,
947
01:01:48.000 --> 01:01:51.440
And then Pissanio helped her to dress in boy's clothes
948
01:01:51.960 --> 01:01:54.920
and sent her on her way and went back to
949
01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:58.639
the court. Before he went, he gave her the drink
950
01:01:59.159 --> 01:02:02.920
he had had from the queen. Emma Jean went on
951
01:02:03.719 --> 01:02:07.800
getting more and more tired, and at last came to
952
01:02:07.880 --> 01:02:11.679
a cave. Some one seemed to live there, but no
953
01:02:11.760 --> 01:02:15.599
one was in just then, so she went in, and
954
01:02:15.800 --> 01:02:19.239
as she was almost dying of hunger, she took some
955
01:02:19.320 --> 01:02:23.440
food she saw there, and had just done so when
956
01:02:23.480 --> 01:02:26.239
an old man and two boys came into the cave.
957
01:02:27.079 --> 01:02:30.079
She was very much frightened when she saw them, for
958
01:02:30.199 --> 01:02:33.159
she thought that they would be angry with her for
959
01:02:33.239 --> 01:02:37.000
taking their food, though she had meant to leave money
960
01:02:37.039 --> 01:02:41.159
for it on the table. But to her surprise, they
961
01:02:41.280 --> 01:02:45.599
welcomed her kindly. She looked very pretty in her boy's clothes,
962
01:02:46.000 --> 01:02:50.559
and her face was good as well as pretty. You
963
01:02:51.000 --> 01:02:55.000
shall be our brother, said both the boys, And so
964
01:02:55.159 --> 01:02:57.760
she stayed with them and helped them to cook the
965
01:02:57.800 --> 01:03:02.480
food and make things comfortable. But one day, when the
966
01:03:02.599 --> 01:03:06.320
old man, whose name was Belarius, was out hunting with
967
01:03:06.360 --> 01:03:10.719
the two boys, Imaging felt ill and thought she would
968
01:03:10.800 --> 01:03:15.119
try the medicine Pisano had given her. So she took
969
01:03:15.159 --> 01:03:19.199
it and at once became like a dead creature, so
970
01:03:19.280 --> 01:03:22.239
that when Belarius and the boys came back from hunting,
971
01:03:22.920 --> 01:03:26.639
they thought she was dead, and with many tears and
972
01:03:27.280 --> 01:03:31.519
funeral songs, they carried her away and laid her in
973
01:03:31.559 --> 01:03:36.719
the wood covered with flowers. They sang sweet songs to
974
01:03:36.760 --> 01:03:42.400
her and strewed flowers on her, pale primroses and the
975
01:03:42.480 --> 01:03:49.280
azure harabelle and egglantine and furred moss, and went away sorrowful.
976
01:03:50.679 --> 01:03:54.320
No sooner had they gone than Emma gin awoke, and,
977
01:03:54.440 --> 01:03:57.480
not knowing how she came there nor where she was,
978
01:03:58.199 --> 01:04:04.079
went wandering through the wood. Now, while Imaging had been
979
01:04:04.159 --> 01:04:07.559
living in the cave, the Romans had decided to attack Britain,
980
01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:11.639
and their army had come over and with them Leonatus,
981
01:04:11.679 --> 01:04:16.119
who had grown sorry for his wickedness against imaging so
982
01:04:16.360 --> 01:04:20.119
had come back not to fight with the Romans against Britain,
983
01:04:20.559 --> 01:04:26.360
but with the Britons against Rome. So as Emajan wandered alone,
984
01:04:26.719 --> 01:04:31.360
she met with Lucius, the Roman general, and took service
985
01:04:31.480 --> 01:04:36.159
with him as his page. When the battle was fought
986
01:04:36.360 --> 01:04:40.039
between the Romans and the Britons, Belarius and his two
987
01:04:40.159 --> 01:04:45.079
boys fought for their own country, and Leonatus, disguised as
988
01:04:45.119 --> 01:04:49.920
a British peasant, fought beside them. The Romans had taken
989
01:04:50.119 --> 01:04:55.360
sembling prisoner and old Belarius with his sons, and Leonatus
990
01:04:55.400 --> 01:04:59.719
bravely rescued the king. Then the Bretons won the battle,
991
01:05:00.119 --> 01:05:03.880
and among the prisoners brought before the king were Lucius
992
01:05:03.880 --> 01:05:08.840
with imaging Jachimo, and Leonatus, who had put on the
993
01:05:08.920 --> 01:05:13.039
uniform of a Roman soldier. He was tired of his
994
01:05:13.159 --> 01:05:16.320
life since he had cruelly ordered his wife to be killed,
995
01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:21.320
and he hoped that as a Roman soldier he would
996
01:05:21.360 --> 01:05:25.280
be put to death. When they were brought before the king,
997
01:05:25.760 --> 01:05:31.119
Lucius spoke out a Roman with a Roman's heart, can suffer.
998
01:05:31.480 --> 01:05:35.599
He said, if I must die, so be it this
999
01:05:35.760 --> 01:05:40.519
one thing only will I entreat my boy, a Briton born,
1000
01:05:41.360 --> 01:05:46.199
let him be ransomed. Never master had a page so kind,
1001
01:05:46.559 --> 01:05:52.159
so dutious, diligent. True, he has done no Briton harm,
1002
01:05:52.880 --> 01:05:58.800
though he has served a Roman Save him, sir. Then
1003
01:05:59.159 --> 01:06:02.679
Symbling looked on the page, who was his own daughter,
1004
01:06:03.199 --> 01:06:07.519
imaging in disguise, And though he did not recognize her,
1005
01:06:08.000 --> 01:06:11.599
he felt such a kindness that he not only spared
1006
01:06:11.679 --> 01:06:15.880
the boy's life, but he said he shall have any
1007
01:06:16.039 --> 01:06:19.199
boon he likes to ask of me, even though he
1008
01:06:19.360 --> 01:06:26.000
asked a prisoner the noblest taken. Then, Imaging said, the
1009
01:06:26.079 --> 01:06:30.280
boon I ask is that this gentleman shall say from
1010
01:06:30.360 --> 01:06:34.639
whom he got the ring he has on his finger.
1011
01:06:35.760 --> 01:06:41.559
And she pointed to Jiakimo speak said, Cembalin, how did
1012
01:06:41.599 --> 01:06:47.360
you get that diamond? Then Yakimo told the whole truth
1013
01:06:47.719 --> 01:06:52.400
of his villainy. At this Leonatus was unable to contain himself,
1014
01:06:53.000 --> 01:06:57.280
and casting aside all thought of disguise, he came forward,
1015
01:06:57.760 --> 01:07:04.320
cursing himself for his folly, and having believed Yakimo's lying story,
1016
01:07:05.159 --> 01:07:08.719
and calling again and again on his wife, whom he
1017
01:07:09.159 --> 01:07:17.599
believed dead. Oh, Imaging, my love, my life, he cried, Oh, Imajean.
1018
01:07:18.719 --> 01:07:23.320
Then Imajen, forgetting she was disguised, cried out, peace, my
1019
01:07:23.440 --> 01:07:29.800
lord here here. Leonatus turned to strike the forward page,
1020
01:07:30.280 --> 01:07:33.920
who thus interfered in his great trouble, And then he
1021
01:07:34.000 --> 01:07:38.400
saw that it was his wife, Imaging, and they fell
1022
01:07:38.440 --> 01:07:43.039
into each other's arms. The king was so glad to
1023
01:07:43.079 --> 01:07:46.480
see his dear daughter again, and so grateful to the
1024
01:07:46.480 --> 01:07:49.880
man who had rescued him, whom he now found to
1025
01:07:50.000 --> 01:07:54.280
be Leonatus, that he gave his blessing on their marriage.
1026
01:07:54.920 --> 01:07:59.119
And he turned to Belarius and the two boys. Now,
1027
01:07:59.280 --> 01:08:05.320
Belarius spoke, I am your old servant, Valerius. You accused
1028
01:08:05.360 --> 01:08:08.920
me of treason when I had only been loyal to you,
1029
01:08:09.480 --> 01:08:15.000
and to be doubted made me disloyal. So I stole
1030
01:08:15.199 --> 01:08:19.880
your two sons, and see they are here. And he
1031
01:08:19.960 --> 01:08:22.720
brought forward the two boys, who had sworn to be
1032
01:08:22.800 --> 01:08:26.680
brothers to Emagen when they thought she was a boy
1033
01:08:27.880 --> 01:08:31.880
like themselves. The wicked queen was dead of some of
1034
01:08:31.960 --> 01:08:35.439
her own poisons, and the king, with his three children
1035
01:08:35.479 --> 01:08:40.840
about him, lived to a happy old age. So the
1036
01:08:40.880 --> 01:08:44.880
wicked were punished, and the good and true lived happy
1037
01:08:44.920 --> 01:08:50.079
ever after, so made the wicked suffer and honest folk
1038
01:08:50.199 --> 01:08:58.319
prosper till the world's end. End of chapter five, read
1039
01:08:58.319 --> 01:09:02.199
by Dennis Sayers and Modesto cal for LibriVox.
1040
01:09:10.600 --> 01:09:15.479
Chapter six of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
1041
01:09:15.880 --> 01:09:19.359
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
1042
01:09:19.399 --> 01:09:24.560
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The
1043
01:09:24.640 --> 01:09:29.680
Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit, Chapter six, The Taming of
1044
01:09:29.720 --> 01:09:34.960
the Shrew. There lived in Padua a gentleman named Baptista,
1045
01:09:35.239 --> 01:09:39.319
who had two fair daughters. The eldest, Catherine, was so
1046
01:09:39.520 --> 01:09:43.399
very cross and ill tempered and unmannerly that no one
1047
01:09:43.479 --> 01:09:47.399
ever dreamed of marrying her, while her sister, Bianca, was
1048
01:09:47.439 --> 01:09:50.960
so sweet and pretty and pleasant spoken that more than
1049
01:09:51.000 --> 01:09:55.159
one suitor asked her father for her hand, But Baptista
1050
01:09:55.239 --> 01:09:59.720
said the elder daughter must marry first. So Bianca's suitors
1051
01:09:59.760 --> 01:10:02.960
desce among themselves to try and get some one to
1052
01:10:03.079 --> 01:10:06.319
marry Katherine, and then the father could at least be
1053
01:10:06.399 --> 01:10:10.399
got to listen to their suit For Bianca, a gentleman
1054
01:10:10.479 --> 01:10:14.199
from Verona named Petruccio, was the one they thought of
1055
01:10:14.520 --> 01:10:17.279
and half. In jest, they asked him if he would
1056
01:10:17.359 --> 01:10:22.399
marry Katherine, the disagreeable scold. Much to their surprise, he
1057
01:10:22.520 --> 01:10:26.000
said yes, that was just the sort of wife for him,
1058
01:10:26.479 --> 01:10:30.000
and if Catherine were handsome and rich, he himself would
1059
01:10:30.079 --> 01:10:34.720
undertake soon to make her good tempered. Petruccio began by
1060
01:10:34.760 --> 01:10:38.960
asking Baptista's permission to pay court to his gentle daughter Katherine,
1061
01:10:39.640 --> 01:10:43.039
and Baptista was obliged to own that she was anything
1062
01:10:43.119 --> 01:10:47.359
but gentle, and just then her music master rushed in,
1063
01:10:47.760 --> 01:10:50.960
complaining that the naughty girl had broken her lute over
1064
01:10:51.039 --> 01:10:54.760
his head because he told her she was not playing correctly.
1065
01:10:55.880 --> 01:10:59.960
Never mind, said Petruccio, I love her better than ever,
1066
01:11:00.520 --> 01:11:05.119
and longed to have some chat with her. When Katherine came,
1067
01:11:05.199 --> 01:11:08.600
he said, good morrow, Kate. For that I hear is
1068
01:11:08.680 --> 01:11:15.359
your name? You've only heard half, said Katherine rudely. Oh no,
1069
01:11:15.760 --> 01:11:19.960
said Petruccio. They call you plain Kate, and Bonnie Kate,
1070
01:11:20.279 --> 01:11:24.600
and sometimes Kate the shrew, and so, hearing your mildness
1071
01:11:24.640 --> 01:11:28.079
praised in every town, and your beauty too, I ask
1072
01:11:28.199 --> 01:11:34.800
you for my wife. Your wife, cried Kate. Never she
1073
01:11:34.920 --> 01:11:39.000
said some extremely disagreeable things to him. And I am
1074
01:11:39.039 --> 01:11:43.560
sorry to say, ended by boxing his ears. If you
1075
01:11:43.720 --> 01:11:47.720
do that again, I'll cough you, he said quietly, and
1076
01:11:47.800 --> 01:11:51.680
still protested with many compliments, that he would marry none
1077
01:11:51.760 --> 01:11:55.960
but her. When Baptista came back, he asked at once,
1078
01:11:56.680 --> 01:12:00.880
how speed you with my daughter? How should I speed?
1079
01:12:00.920 --> 01:12:07.560
But well, replied Petruchio, How but well, how now, daughter, Catherine?
1080
01:12:08.039 --> 01:12:13.039
The father went on. I don't think, said Catherine angrily.
1081
01:12:13.680 --> 01:12:16.159
You are acting a father's part in wishing me to
1082
01:12:16.239 --> 01:12:21.960
marry this mad cap ruffian, ah, said Petruccio, you and
1083
01:12:22.039 --> 01:12:24.760
all the world would talk amiss of her. You should
1084
01:12:24.800 --> 01:12:27.439
see how kind she is to me when we are alone.
1085
01:12:28.119 --> 01:12:30.720
In short, I will go off to Venice to buy
1086
01:12:30.760 --> 01:12:34.439
fine things for our wedding. For kiss me, Kate. We
1087
01:12:34.479 --> 01:12:39.039
will be married on Sunday. And with that Catherine flounced
1088
01:12:39.039 --> 01:12:41.800
out of the room by one door in a violent temper,
1089
01:12:42.319 --> 01:12:46.199
and he, laughing, went out by the other. But whether
1090
01:12:46.319 --> 01:12:49.199
she fell in love with Petruccio, or whether she was
1091
01:12:49.239 --> 01:12:51.640
only glad to meet a man who was not afraid
1092
01:12:51.680 --> 01:12:54.600
of her, or whether she was flattered that, in spite
1093
01:12:54.640 --> 01:12:58.279
of her rough words and spiteful usage, he still desired
1094
01:12:58.279 --> 01:13:02.279
her for his wife. She did indeed marry him on Sunday,
1095
01:13:02.640 --> 01:13:06.840
as he had sworn she should, to vex and humble
1096
01:13:06.920 --> 01:13:10.520
Catherine's naughty, proud spirit. He was late at the wedding,
1097
01:13:10.840 --> 01:13:14.600
and when he came, came wearing such shabby clothes that
1098
01:13:14.680 --> 01:13:17.960
she was ashamed to be seen with him. His servant
1099
01:13:18.119 --> 01:13:21.199
was dressed in the same shabby way, and the horses
1100
01:13:21.239 --> 01:13:24.960
they rode were the sport of everyone they passed. And
1101
01:13:25.119 --> 01:13:28.359
after the marriage, when should have been the wedding breakfast,
1102
01:13:28.640 --> 01:13:32.199
Pertruccio carried his wife away, not allowing her to eat
1103
01:13:32.279 --> 01:13:35.479
or drink, saying that she was his now and he
1104
01:13:35.520 --> 01:13:38.520
could do as he liked with her. And his manner
1105
01:13:38.640 --> 01:13:41.960
was so violent, and he behaved all through his wedding
1106
01:13:42.079 --> 01:13:45.920
in so mad and dreadful a manner that Catherine trembled
1107
01:13:46.000 --> 01:13:49.159
and went with him. He mounted her on a stumbling,
1108
01:13:49.399 --> 01:13:53.000
lean old horse, and they journeyed by rough, muddy ways
1109
01:13:53.039 --> 01:13:57.199
to Pertruccio's house, he scolding and snarling all the way.
1110
01:13:58.399 --> 01:14:01.319
She was terribly tired when she reached her new home,
1111
01:14:01.640 --> 01:14:04.840
but Petruccio was determined that she should neither eat nor
1112
01:14:04.960 --> 01:14:07.680
sleep that night, for he had made up his mind
1113
01:14:07.720 --> 01:14:10.560
to teach his bad tempered wife a lesson she would
1114
01:14:10.600 --> 01:14:14.920
never forget. So he welcomed her kindly into his house.
1115
01:14:15.279 --> 01:14:18.720
But when supper was served, he found fault with everything.
1116
01:14:19.199 --> 01:14:22.560
The meat was burnt, he said, and ill served, and
1117
01:14:22.640 --> 01:14:25.039
he loved her far too much to let her eat
1118
01:14:25.079 --> 01:14:29.079
anything but the best. At last, Catherine, tired out with
1119
01:14:29.159 --> 01:14:34.039
her journey, went supperless to bed. Then, her husband, still
1120
01:14:34.079 --> 01:14:36.920
telling her how he loved her and how anxious he
1121
01:14:37.119 --> 01:14:40.800
was that she should sleep well, pulled her bed to pieces,
1122
01:14:40.960 --> 01:14:44.359
throwing pillows and bedclothes on the floor, so that she
1123
01:14:44.439 --> 01:14:47.119
could not go to bed at all, and still kept
1124
01:14:47.159 --> 01:14:50.159
growling and scolding at the servants, so that Kate might
1125
01:14:50.159 --> 01:14:55.199
see how unbeautiful a thing ill temper was. The next day, too,
1126
01:14:55.479 --> 01:14:58.960
Catherine's food was all found fault with and caught away
1127
01:14:59.039 --> 01:15:02.039
before she could touch a a mouthful, and she was
1128
01:15:02.119 --> 01:15:05.640
sick and giddy for want of sleep. Then she said
1129
01:15:05.680 --> 01:15:08.800
to one of the servants, I pray thee go and
1130
01:15:08.880 --> 01:15:13.720
get me some repast. I care not. What what say
1131
01:15:13.760 --> 01:15:17.920
you to a neat's foot, said the servant. Catherine said
1132
01:15:18.039 --> 01:15:22.000
yes eagerly. But the servant, who was in his master's secret,
1133
01:15:22.479 --> 01:15:25.439
said he feared it was not good for hasty tempered people.
1134
01:15:26.000 --> 01:15:31.000
Would she like tripe? Bring it me, said Katherine. I
1135
01:15:31.039 --> 01:15:33.920
don't think that is good enough for hasty tempered people,
1136
01:15:34.239 --> 01:15:36.960
said the servant. What do you say to a dish
1137
01:15:36.960 --> 01:15:41.960
of beef and mustard? I love it, said Kate. But
1138
01:15:42.159 --> 01:15:45.680
mustard is too hot. Why then the beef and let
1139
01:15:45.680 --> 01:15:51.439
the mustard go, cried Katherine, who was getting hungrier and hungrier. No,
1140
01:15:51.880 --> 01:15:54.760
said the servant. You must have the mustard or you
1141
01:15:54.880 --> 01:16:00.000
get no beef from me, then, cried Katherine, losing patience.
1142
01:16:00.600 --> 01:16:05.479
Let it be both, or one, or anything thou wilt. Why, then,
1143
01:16:05.840 --> 01:16:10.640
said the servant, the mustard without the beef. Then Catherine
1144
01:16:10.640 --> 01:16:14.039
saw he was making fun of her and boxed his ears.
1145
01:16:14.920 --> 01:16:18.000
Just then Petruccio brought her some food, but she had
1146
01:16:18.039 --> 01:16:21.720
scarcely begun to satisfy her hunger before he called for
1147
01:16:21.760 --> 01:16:24.680
the tailor to bring her new clothes, and the table
1148
01:16:24.840 --> 01:16:29.520
was cleared, leaving her still hungry. Catherine was pleased with
1149
01:16:29.600 --> 01:16:32.319
the pretty new dress and cap that the tailor had
1150
01:16:32.359 --> 01:16:36.960
made for her, but Petruccio found fault with everything flung
1151
01:16:37.000 --> 01:16:39.840
the cap and gown on the floor, vowing his dear
1152
01:16:39.920 --> 01:16:44.239
wife should not wear any such foolish things. I will
1153
01:16:44.319 --> 01:16:49.079
have them, cried Katherine. All gentle women wear caps as these.
1154
01:16:50.000 --> 01:16:53.560
When you are gentle, you shall have one too, he answered,
1155
01:16:53.840 --> 01:16:57.439
And not till then, when he had driven away the
1156
01:16:57.479 --> 01:17:01.199
tailor with angry words, but privately asking his friend to
1157
01:17:01.239 --> 01:17:05.760
see him paid, Petruccio said, Come, Kate, let's go to
1158
01:17:05.840 --> 01:17:09.119
your father's shabby as we are, for as the sun
1159
01:17:09.159 --> 01:17:12.880
breaks through the darkest clouds, so honor pereth in the
1160
01:17:12.960 --> 01:17:17.439
meanest habit. It is about seven o'clock now we shall
1161
01:17:17.479 --> 01:17:22.920
easily get there by dinner time. It's nearly two, said Kate,
1162
01:17:23.119 --> 01:17:26.079
but civilly enough, for she had grown to see that
1163
01:17:26.159 --> 01:17:28.960
she could not bully her husband as she had done
1164
01:17:29.000 --> 01:17:32.800
her father and her sister. It's nearly two, and it
1165
01:17:32.800 --> 01:17:36.760
will be supper time before we get there. It shall
1166
01:17:36.800 --> 01:17:42.479
be seven, said Petruccio, obstinately, before I start. Why whatever
1167
01:17:42.640 --> 01:17:46.560
I say, or do or think, you do nothing but contradict.
1168
01:17:47.159 --> 01:17:49.600
I won't go to day, And before I do go,
1169
01:17:50.000 --> 01:17:52.359
it shall be what a clock I say it is?
1170
01:17:54.359 --> 01:17:57.720
At last they started for her father's house. Look at
1171
01:17:57.760 --> 01:18:03.000
the moon, said he. It's the sun, said Catherine, And
1172
01:18:03.119 --> 01:18:08.000
indeed it was, I say it is the moon, contradicting again,
1173
01:18:08.479 --> 01:18:11.640
it shall be sun or moon, or whatever I choose,
1174
01:18:12.039 --> 01:18:15.960
or I won't take you to your father's. Then Catherine
1175
01:18:16.039 --> 01:18:19.520
gave in, once and for all, what you will have
1176
01:18:19.600 --> 01:18:23.159
it named? She said, it is, and so it shall
1177
01:18:23.199 --> 01:18:27.680
be so for Catherine, And so it was for From
1178
01:18:27.720 --> 01:18:30.600
that moment Catherine felt that she had met her master,
1179
01:18:31.079 --> 01:18:34.119
and never again showed her naughty tempers to him or
1180
01:18:34.159 --> 01:18:38.399
any one else. So they journeyed on to Baptista's house,
1181
01:18:38.680 --> 01:18:42.319
and arriving there, they found all folks keeping Bianca's wedding
1182
01:18:42.399 --> 01:18:46.600
feast and that of another newly arrived couple, Hortensio and
1183
01:18:46.720 --> 01:18:49.840
his wife. They were made welcome and sat down to
1184
01:18:49.920 --> 01:18:54.000
the feast, and all was merry, save that Hortensio's wife,
1185
01:18:54.319 --> 01:18:58.000
seeing Catherine subdued to her husband, thought she could safely
1186
01:18:58.039 --> 01:19:01.520
say many disagreeable things that in the old days, when
1187
01:19:01.600 --> 01:19:05.119
Catherine was free and forward, she would not have dared
1188
01:19:05.159 --> 01:19:09.560
to say. But Catherine answered with such spirit and such moderation,
1189
01:19:10.199 --> 01:19:14.399
that she turned the laugh against the new bride. After dinner,
1190
01:19:14.560 --> 01:19:17.920
when the ladies were retired, Baptista joined in a laugh
1191
01:19:17.960 --> 01:19:23.199
against Petruccio saying, now, in good sadness, son Petruccio, I
1192
01:19:23.199 --> 01:19:26.960
fear you have got the veriest shrew of all. You
1193
01:19:27.079 --> 01:19:30.560
are wrong, said Petrucchio. Let me prove it to you.
1194
01:19:30.960 --> 01:19:33.319
Each of us shall send a message to his wife,
1195
01:19:33.479 --> 01:19:36.319
desiring her to come to him, and the one whose
1196
01:19:36.359 --> 01:19:39.439
wife comes most readily shall win a wager, which he
1197
01:19:39.520 --> 01:19:44.560
will agree on. The others said, yes, readily enough, for
1198
01:19:44.680 --> 01:19:47.920
each thought his own wife the most dutiful, and each
1199
01:19:47.960 --> 01:19:51.520
thought he was quite sure to win the wager. They
1200
01:19:51.560 --> 01:19:56.640
proposed a wager of twenty crowns. Twenty crowns, said Petruccio,
1201
01:19:57.039 --> 01:19:59.840
I'll venture so much on my hawk or hound, but
1202
01:20:00.079 --> 01:20:04.119
twenty times as much upon my wife. A hundred then,
1203
01:20:04.640 --> 01:20:11.600
cried Lucentio, Bianca's husband, content cried the others. Then Lucentio
1204
01:20:11.720 --> 01:20:14.479
sent a message to the fair Bianca, bidding her to
1205
01:20:14.560 --> 01:20:17.800
come to him, and Baptista said he was certain his
1206
01:20:17.960 --> 01:20:23.000
daughter would come. But the servant coming back said, sir,
1207
01:20:23.079 --> 01:20:27.399
my mistress is busy and she cannot come. There's an
1208
01:20:27.399 --> 01:20:32.319
answer for you, said Petruccio. You may think yourself fortunate
1209
01:20:32.359 --> 01:20:36.640
if your wife does not send you a worse I
1210
01:20:36.800 --> 01:20:42.720
hope better. Petruccio answered, than, Hortensio said, go and entreat
1211
01:20:42.760 --> 01:20:46.680
my wife to come to me at once. Oh, if
1212
01:20:46.680 --> 01:20:52.279
you entreat her, said Petrucchio, I am afraid, answered Hortensio.
1213
01:20:52.399 --> 01:20:56.119
Sharply do what you can. Yours will not be entreated.
1214
01:20:57.439 --> 01:21:00.880
But now the servant came in and said, she says
1215
01:21:00.920 --> 01:21:05.199
you are playing some jest. She will not come. Better
1216
01:21:05.239 --> 01:21:09.319
and better, cried Petruccio. Now go to your mistress and
1217
01:21:09.399 --> 01:21:12.880
say I command her to come to me. They all
1218
01:21:12.920 --> 01:21:16.319
began to laugh, saying they knew what her answer would be,
1219
01:21:16.600 --> 01:21:20.560
and that she would not come. Then suddenly Baptista cried,
1220
01:21:21.119 --> 01:21:25.880
here comes Catherine, and sure enough there she was. What
1221
01:21:26.000 --> 01:21:30.199
do you wish, sir? She asked her husband, Where are
1222
01:21:30.239 --> 01:21:34.520
your sister in Hortensio's wife talking by the parlor fire,
1223
01:21:35.479 --> 01:21:38.960
fetch them here. When she was gone to fetch them,
1224
01:21:39.119 --> 01:21:44.359
Lucentio said, here is a wonder. I wonder what it means,
1225
01:21:44.640 --> 01:21:50.039
said Hortensio. It means peace, said Petruchio, and love and
1226
01:21:50.199 --> 01:21:55.600
quiet life. Well, said Baptista, you have won the wager,
1227
01:21:55.720 --> 01:21:58.960
and I will add another twenty thousand crowns to her dowry.
1228
01:21:59.399 --> 01:22:03.079
Another do for another daughter, for she is as changed
1229
01:22:03.119 --> 01:22:08.079
as if she were someone else. So Petruccio won his wager,
1230
01:22:08.279 --> 01:22:11.239
and had in Catherine always a loving wife and a
1231
01:22:11.359 --> 01:22:14.960
true and now he had broken her proud and angry spirit.
1232
01:22:15.239 --> 01:22:18.159
He loved her well, and there was nothing ever but
1233
01:22:18.319 --> 01:22:23.159
love between those two, and so they lived happily ever afterwards.
1234
01:22:25.199 --> 01:22:26.840
End of chapter six.
1235
01:22:32.079 --> 01:22:36.840
Chapter seven of The Children Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
1236
01:22:37.439 --> 01:22:40.920
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
1237
01:22:40.920 --> 01:22:47.199
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
1238
01:22:47.239 --> 01:22:53.560
by Elisabeth Klett. The Children Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt, Chapter
1239
01:22:53.600 --> 01:22:59.359
seven Hamlet. Hamlet was the only son of the King
1240
01:22:59.399 --> 01:23:02.680
of Denmark. He loved his father and mother dearly, and
1241
01:23:02.840 --> 01:23:05.720
was happy in the love of a sweet lady named Ophelia.
1242
01:23:06.199 --> 01:23:10.199
Her father, Polonius, was the king's chamberlain. While Hamlet was
1243
01:23:10.239 --> 01:23:14.800
away studying at Wittenberg, his father died. Young Hamlet hastened
1244
01:23:14.800 --> 01:23:17.199
home in great grief to hear that a serpent had
1245
01:23:17.239 --> 01:23:20.159
stung the king and that he was dead. The young
1246
01:23:20.239 --> 01:23:23.399
prince had loved his father tenderly, so you may judge
1247
01:23:23.399 --> 01:23:26.239
what he felt when he found that the queen, before
1248
01:23:26.319 --> 01:23:28.279
yet the king, had been laid in the ground a
1249
01:23:28.319 --> 01:23:32.039
month had determined to marry again, and to marry the
1250
01:23:32.079 --> 01:23:36.680
dead king's brother. Hamlet refused to put off his mourning
1251
01:23:36.720 --> 01:23:39.840
for the wedding. It is not only the black I
1252
01:23:39.880 --> 01:23:43.159
wear on my body, he said, that proves my loss.
1253
01:23:43.640 --> 01:23:46.039
I wear mourning in my heart for my dead father.
1254
01:23:46.760 --> 01:23:51.399
His son at least remembers him and grieves still. Then
1255
01:23:51.680 --> 01:23:56.479
said Claudius, the king's brother, this grief is unreasonable. Of
1256
01:23:56.560 --> 01:23:59.159
course you must sorrow at the loss of your father.
1257
01:23:59.399 --> 01:24:04.239
But ah, said Hamlet bitterly, I cannot in one little
1258
01:24:04.279 --> 01:24:08.279
month forget those that I love. With that, the queen
1259
01:24:08.319 --> 01:24:11.359
and Claudius left him to make merry over their wedding,
1260
01:24:11.680 --> 01:24:14.439
forgetting the poor good king, who had been so kind
1261
01:24:14.560 --> 01:24:18.960
to them both, and Hamlet, left alone began to wonder
1262
01:24:19.000 --> 01:24:21.079
and to question as to what he ought to do,
1263
01:24:21.640 --> 01:24:24.319
for he could not believe the story about the snake bite.
1264
01:24:24.680 --> 01:24:27.000
It seemed to him all too plain that the wicked
1265
01:24:27.039 --> 01:24:29.600
Claudius had killed the king so as to get the
1266
01:24:29.680 --> 01:24:32.600
crown and marry the queen. Yet he had no proof
1267
01:24:32.720 --> 01:24:36.319
and could not accuse Claudius. And while he was thus thinking,
1268
01:24:36.479 --> 01:24:40.760
came Horatio, a fellow student of his from Wittenberg. What
1269
01:24:40.920 --> 01:24:44.000
brought you here, asked Hamlet, after he had greeted his
1270
01:24:44.079 --> 01:24:47.960
friend kindly. I came, my lord, to see your father's funeral.
1271
01:24:48.840 --> 01:24:52.680
I think it was to see my mother's wedding, said Hamlet, bitterly.
1272
01:24:53.239 --> 01:24:56.199
My father. We shall not look upon his like again.
1273
01:24:57.279 --> 01:25:03.399
My Lord answered Horatio, I think I saw him yesternight. Then,
1274
01:25:03.600 --> 01:25:07.239
while Hamlet listened in surprise, Horatio told how he, with
1275
01:25:07.359 --> 01:25:10.119
two gentlemen of the guard, had seen the king's ghost
1276
01:25:10.159 --> 01:25:13.960
on the battlements. Hamlet went that night, and true enough,
1277
01:25:14.279 --> 01:25:17.199
at midnight, the ghost of the king, in the armor
1278
01:25:17.239 --> 01:25:20.119
he had been wont to wear, appeared on the battlements
1279
01:25:20.159 --> 01:25:23.920
in the chill moonlight. Hamlet was a brave youth. Instead
1280
01:25:23.960 --> 01:25:26.000
of running away from the ghost, he spoke to it,
1281
01:25:26.239 --> 01:25:28.039
and when it beckoned him, he followed it to a
1282
01:25:28.119 --> 01:25:31.399
quiet place, and there the ghost told him that what
1283
01:25:31.520 --> 01:25:35.800
he had suspected was true. The wicked Claudius had indeed
1284
01:25:35.960 --> 01:25:39.039
killed his good brother, the King, by dropping poison into
1285
01:25:39.079 --> 01:25:41.680
his ear as he slept in his orchard in the afternoon.
1286
01:25:42.640 --> 01:25:47.399
And you said, the ghost must avenge this cruel murder
1287
01:25:47.680 --> 01:25:51.439
on my wicked brother, But do nothing against the queen,
1288
01:25:51.880 --> 01:25:53.840
for I have loved her, and she is thy mother.
1289
01:25:54.720 --> 01:26:01.520
Remember me. Then, seeing the morning approach, the ghost vanish now,
1290
01:26:01.600 --> 01:26:06.039
said Hamlet, there is nothing left but revenge. Remember thee
1291
01:26:06.319 --> 01:26:10.199
I will remember nothing else, books, pleasure, youth, Let all go,
1292
01:26:10.640 --> 01:26:15.359
and your commands alone live on my brain. So when
1293
01:26:15.359 --> 01:26:17.800
his friends came back, he made them swear to keep
1294
01:26:17.800 --> 01:26:19.960
the secret of the ghost, and then went in from
1295
01:26:20.000 --> 01:26:23.520
the battlements, now gray with mingled dawn and moonlight, to
1296
01:26:23.560 --> 01:26:26.760
think how he might best avenge his murdered father. The
1297
01:26:26.840 --> 01:26:29.560
shock of seeing and hearing his father's ghost made him
1298
01:26:29.560 --> 01:26:32.439
feel almost mad, and for fear that his uncle might
1299
01:26:32.560 --> 01:26:35.399
notice that he was not himself, he determined to hide
1300
01:26:35.439 --> 01:26:38.800
his mad longing for revenge under a pretended madness in
1301
01:26:38.920 --> 01:26:42.680
other matters. And when he met Ophelia, who loved him
1302
01:26:42.920 --> 01:26:45.399
and to whom he had given gifts and letters and
1303
01:26:45.479 --> 01:26:49.199
many loving words, he behaved so wildly to her that
1304
01:26:49.239 --> 01:26:51.760
she could not but think him mad, for she loved
1305
01:26:51.800 --> 01:26:54.119
him so that she could not quite believe he would
1306
01:26:54.119 --> 01:26:56.800
be so cruel as this unless he were quite mad.
1307
01:26:57.439 --> 01:26:59.840
So she told her father and showed him a pretty
1308
01:27:00.079 --> 01:27:03.000
letter from Hamlet, And in the letter was much folly,
1309
01:27:03.319 --> 01:27:07.319
and this pretty verse. Doubt that the stars are fire,
1310
01:27:07.840 --> 01:27:11.239
doubt that the son doth move, doubt truth to be
1311
01:27:11.319 --> 01:27:15.680
a liar, But never doubt I love. And from that
1312
01:27:15.880 --> 01:27:19.119
time every one believed that the cause of Hamlet's supposed
1313
01:27:19.159 --> 01:27:24.319
madness was love. Poor Hamlet was very unhappy. He longed
1314
01:27:24.319 --> 01:27:26.840
to obey his father's ghost, and yet he was too
1315
01:27:26.960 --> 01:27:30.000
gentle and kindly to wish to kill another man, even
1316
01:27:30.079 --> 01:27:33.640
his father's murderer. And sometimes he wondered whether, after all,
1317
01:27:33.680 --> 01:27:37.520
the ghosts spoke truly. Just at this time, some actors
1318
01:27:37.560 --> 01:27:40.199
came to the court, and Hamlet ordered them to perform
1319
01:27:40.239 --> 01:27:42.920
a certain play before the King and Queen. Now this
1320
01:27:43.000 --> 01:27:45.199
play was the story of a man who had been
1321
01:27:45.279 --> 01:27:48.439
murdered in his garden by a near relation, who afterwards
1322
01:27:48.479 --> 01:27:52.119
married the dead man's wife. You may imagine the feelings
1323
01:27:52.119 --> 01:27:54.359
of the wicked king as he sat on his throne
1324
01:27:54.399 --> 01:27:56.680
with the queen beside him, in all his court around,
1325
01:27:56.880 --> 01:28:00.399
and saw acted on the stage the very wicked goodness
1326
01:28:00.439 --> 01:28:04.119
that he had himself done. And when in the play
1327
01:28:04.479 --> 01:28:07.279
the wicked relation poured poison into the ear of the
1328
01:28:07.319 --> 01:28:11.520
sleeping man, the wicked Claudius suddenly rose and staggered from
1329
01:28:11.560 --> 01:28:15.520
the room, the Queen and others following. Then said Hamlet
1330
01:28:15.560 --> 01:28:19.279
to his friends, Now, I am sure the ghosts spoke true,
1331
01:28:19.479 --> 01:28:22.039
for if Claudius had not done this murder, he could
1332
01:28:22.039 --> 01:28:25.720
not have been so distressed to see it in a play. Now,
1333
01:28:25.760 --> 01:28:28.520
the Queen sent for Hamlet, by the king's desire to
1334
01:28:28.560 --> 01:28:31.520
scold him for his conduct during the play and for
1335
01:28:31.600 --> 01:28:35.119
other matters, and Claudius, wishing to know exactly what happened,
1336
01:28:35.399 --> 01:28:38.439
told Old Polonius to hide himself behind the hangings in
1337
01:28:38.520 --> 01:28:41.720
the queen's room, And as they talked, the Queen got
1338
01:28:41.760 --> 01:28:45.520
frightened at Hamlet's rough, strange words and cried for help,
1339
01:28:45.800 --> 01:28:50.279
and Polonius, behind the curtain, cried out too. Hamlet, thinking
1340
01:28:50.319 --> 01:28:52.680
it was the king who was hidden there, thrust with
1341
01:28:52.720 --> 01:28:55.680
his sword at the hangings and killed not the King,
1342
01:28:56.239 --> 01:29:01.359
but poor old Polonius. So now Hamlet had offended his
1343
01:29:01.520 --> 01:29:04.880
uncle and his mother, and by a bad hap killed
1344
01:29:04.880 --> 01:29:09.239
his true love's father. Oh what a rash and bloody
1345
01:29:09.319 --> 01:29:14.039
deed is this, cried the queen, and Hamlet answered bitterly,
1346
01:29:14.600 --> 01:29:17.560
almost as bad as to kill a king and marry
1347
01:29:17.600 --> 01:29:21.279
his brother. Then Hamlet told the Queen plainly all his
1348
01:29:21.359 --> 01:29:24.239
thoughts and how he knew of the murder, and begged
1349
01:29:24.239 --> 01:29:26.800
her at least to have no more friendship or kindness
1350
01:29:26.800 --> 01:29:29.479
of the base Claudius, who had killed the good King.
1351
01:29:30.159 --> 01:29:33.960
And as they spoke, the king's ghost again appeared before Hamlet,
1352
01:29:34.279 --> 01:29:36.600
but the queen could not see it, so when the
1353
01:29:36.600 --> 01:29:41.000
ghost was gone, they parted. When the Queen told Claudius
1354
01:29:41.000 --> 01:29:44.319
what had passed and how Polonius was dead, he said,
1355
01:29:44.920 --> 01:29:47.760
this shows plainly that Hamlet is mad, and since he
1356
01:29:47.800 --> 01:29:50.359
has killed the chancellor, it is for his own safety
1357
01:29:50.359 --> 01:29:52.560
that we must carry out our plan and send him
1358
01:29:52.600 --> 01:29:56.880
away to England. So Hamlet was sent under charge of
1359
01:29:56.920 --> 01:30:00.439
two courtiers who served the king, and these bore letters
1360
01:30:00.439 --> 01:30:03.840
to the English court requiring that Hamlet should be put
1361
01:30:03.880 --> 01:30:06.760
to death. But Hamlet had the good sense to get
1362
01:30:06.840 --> 01:30:09.720
at these letters and put in others instead, with the
1363
01:30:09.800 --> 01:30:12.039
names of the two courtiers who were so ready to
1364
01:30:12.079 --> 01:30:15.800
betray him. Then, as the vessel went to England, Hamlet
1365
01:30:15.880 --> 01:30:18.720
escaped on board a pirate ship, and the two wicked
1366
01:30:18.760 --> 01:30:21.720
courtiers left him to his fate and went on to
1367
01:30:21.800 --> 01:30:25.920
meet theirs. Hamlet hurried home, but in the meantime a
1368
01:30:26.000 --> 01:30:30.439
dreadful thing had happened. Poor pretty Ophelia, having lost her
1369
01:30:30.439 --> 01:30:33.920
lover and her father, lost her wits too, and went
1370
01:30:33.960 --> 01:30:37.600
in sad madness about the court with straws and weeds
1371
01:30:37.640 --> 01:30:41.199
and flowers in her hair, singing strange scraps of song,
1372
01:30:41.600 --> 01:30:45.279
and talking poor foolish pretty talk with no heart of
1373
01:30:45.319 --> 01:30:48.439
meaning to it. And one day, coming to a stream
1374
01:30:48.479 --> 01:30:51.479
where willows grew, she tried to hang a flowery garland
1375
01:30:51.520 --> 01:30:53.880
on a willow and fell in the water with all
1376
01:30:53.880 --> 01:30:58.159
her flowers, and so died. And Hamlet had loved her,
1377
01:30:58.560 --> 01:31:00.920
though his plan of seeming madness had made him hide it.
1378
01:31:01.279 --> 01:31:03.119
And when he came back he found the King and
1379
01:31:03.199 --> 01:31:05.640
Queen and the court weeping at the funeral of his
1380
01:31:05.720 --> 01:31:10.159
dear love and lady Ophelia's brother, Laertes had also just
1381
01:31:10.279 --> 01:31:12.760
come back to court to ask justice for the death
1382
01:31:12.800 --> 01:31:16.920
of his father, Old Polonius, and now wild with grief,
1383
01:31:17.199 --> 01:31:19.840
he leaped into his sister's grave to clasp her in
1384
01:31:19.880 --> 01:31:23.520
his arms. Once more, I loved her more than forty
1385
01:31:23.600 --> 01:31:27.600
thousand brothers, cried Hamlet, and leaped into the grave after him,
1386
01:31:27.880 --> 01:31:32.239
and they fought till they were parted. Afterwards, Hamlet begged
1387
01:31:32.319 --> 01:31:35.920
Laertes to forgive him I could not bear. He said
1388
01:31:36.119 --> 01:31:38.720
that any even a brother, should seem to love her
1389
01:31:38.720 --> 01:31:42.720
more than I. But the wicked Claudius would not let
1390
01:31:42.800 --> 01:31:46.920
them be friends. He told Laertes how Hamlet had killed Polonius,
1391
01:31:47.000 --> 01:31:49.399
and between them they made a plot to slay Hamlet
1392
01:31:49.439 --> 01:31:53.279
by treachery. Laertes challenged him to a fencing match, and
1393
01:31:53.359 --> 01:31:56.680
all the court were present. Hamlet had the blunt foil
1394
01:31:56.760 --> 01:32:00.560
always used in fencing, but Laertes had prepared for himself
1395
01:32:00.600 --> 01:32:05.000
a sword sharp and tipped with poison, and the wicked
1396
01:32:05.119 --> 01:32:08.079
king had made ready a bowl of poisoned wine, which
1397
01:32:08.079 --> 01:32:10.239
he meant to give poor Hamlet when he should grow
1398
01:32:10.279 --> 01:32:12.720
warm with the sword play and should call for drink.
1399
01:32:13.560 --> 01:32:17.680
So Laertes and Hamlet fought, and Laertes, after some fencing,
1400
01:32:17.960 --> 01:32:22.319
gave Hamlet a sharp sword. Thrust Hamlet angry at this treachery,
1401
01:32:22.479 --> 01:32:24.920
for they had been fencing, not as men fight, but
1402
01:32:25.000 --> 01:32:28.600
as they play. Closed with Laertes in a struggle, both
1403
01:32:28.720 --> 01:32:32.039
dropped their swords, and when they picked them up again, Hamlet,
1404
01:32:32.079 --> 01:32:35.000
without noticing it, had exchanged his own blunt sword for
1405
01:32:35.119 --> 01:32:38.199
Laerti sharp and poisoned one and with one thrust of
1406
01:32:38.239 --> 01:32:42.279
it he pierced Laertes, who fell dead by his own treachery.
1407
01:32:42.960 --> 01:32:46.720
At this moment, the Queen cried out, the drink, the drink,
1408
01:32:47.119 --> 01:32:50.680
Oh my dear Hamlet, I am poisoned. She had drunk
1409
01:32:50.720 --> 01:32:53.279
of the poisoned bowl the king had prepared for Hamlet.
1410
01:32:53.479 --> 01:32:56.479
And the king saw the queen, whom, wicked as he was,
1411
01:32:56.600 --> 01:33:01.319
he really loved, fall dead by his means. Then Ophelia
1412
01:33:01.359 --> 01:33:05.399
being dead, and Polonius, and the Queen and Laertes, besides
1413
01:33:05.479 --> 01:33:08.399
the two courtiers who had been sent to England, Hamlet
1414
01:33:08.439 --> 01:33:10.800
at last got him courage to do the ghost's bidding
1415
01:33:10.880 --> 01:33:13.720
and avenge his father's murder, which if he had found
1416
01:33:13.760 --> 01:33:16.399
the heart to do long before. All these lives had
1417
01:33:16.399 --> 01:33:19.600
been spared, and none suffered but the wicked king, who
1418
01:33:19.640 --> 01:33:24.159
well deserved to die. Hamlet, his heart, at last, being
1419
01:33:24.199 --> 01:33:26.560
great enough to do the deed he ought, turned the
1420
01:33:26.600 --> 01:33:31.479
poisoned sword on the false king. Then venom, do thy work,
1421
01:33:31.800 --> 01:33:35.960
he cried, and the king died. So Hamlet, in the
1422
01:33:36.159 --> 01:33:38.760
end kept the promise he had made his father, And
1423
01:33:38.920 --> 01:33:42.920
now being all accomplished, he himself died, and those who
1424
01:33:42.920 --> 01:33:45.680
stood by saw him die with prayers and tears for
1425
01:33:45.760 --> 01:33:48.359
his friends and his people, who loved him with their
1426
01:33:48.359 --> 01:33:53.079
whole hearts. Thus ends the tragic tale of Hamlet, Prince
1427
01:33:53.119 --> 01:34:03.800
of Denmark. End of chapter seven Chapter eight of The
1428
01:34:03.880 --> 01:34:09.760
Children Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
1429
01:34:09.760 --> 01:34:13.560
are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
1430
01:34:14.119 --> 01:34:20.560
please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Elizabeth Klett. The
1431
01:34:20.680 --> 01:34:29.399
Children Shakespeare by Edith Nesbitt. Chapter eight, Twelfth Night Orsino,
1432
01:34:29.560 --> 01:34:32.039
the Duke of Oleyria was deeply in love with a
1433
01:34:32.039 --> 01:34:36.199
beautiful countess named Olivia. Yet was all his love in vain,
1434
01:34:36.560 --> 01:34:39.640
for she disdained his suit, And when her brother died,
1435
01:34:39.720 --> 01:34:42.560
she sent back a messenger from the Duke, bidding him
1436
01:34:42.560 --> 01:34:45.279
tell his master that for seven years she would not
1437
01:34:45.479 --> 01:34:48.960
let the very air behold her face, but that like
1438
01:34:49.000 --> 01:34:52.319
a nun, she would walk veiled, and all this for
1439
01:34:52.399 --> 01:34:55.359
the sake of a dead brother's love, which she would
1440
01:34:55.439 --> 01:34:59.359
keep fresh and lasting in her sad remembrance. The Duke
1441
01:34:59.439 --> 01:35:01.439
longed for some one to whom he could tell his
1442
01:35:01.560 --> 01:35:04.880
sorrow and repeat over and over again. The story of
1443
01:35:04.920 --> 01:35:09.000
his love and chance brought him such a companion for
1444
01:35:09.079 --> 01:35:11.359
about this time, a goodly ship was wrecked on the
1445
01:35:11.359 --> 01:35:14.920
Illyrian coast, and among those who reached land in safety
1446
01:35:14.960 --> 01:35:17.840
were the captain and a fair young maid named Viola.
1447
01:35:18.479 --> 01:35:20.760
But she was little grateful for being rescued from the
1448
01:35:20.800 --> 01:35:23.439
perils of the sea, since she feared that her twin
1449
01:35:23.520 --> 01:35:27.199
brother was drowned. Sebastian as dear to her as the
1450
01:35:27.239 --> 01:35:30.279
heart in her bosom, and so like her that but
1451
01:35:30.479 --> 01:35:33.199
for the difference in their manner of dress, one could
1452
01:35:33.279 --> 01:35:37.199
hardly be told from the other. The captain, for her comfort,
1453
01:35:37.600 --> 01:35:40.039
told her that he had seen her brother bind himself
1454
01:35:40.079 --> 01:35:42.840
to a strong mast that lived upon the sea, and
1455
01:35:42.960 --> 01:35:45.359
that thus there was hope that he might be saved.
1456
01:35:46.279 --> 01:35:49.560
Viola now asked in whose country she was, and learning
1457
01:35:49.560 --> 01:35:52.399
that the young Duke Gorcina ruled there and was as
1458
01:35:52.439 --> 01:35:55.239
noble in his nature as in his name, she decided
1459
01:35:55.239 --> 01:35:58.960
to disguise herself in male attire and seek for employment
1460
01:35:59.000 --> 01:36:03.039
with him as a pain. In this she succeeded, and
1461
01:36:03.239 --> 01:36:05.439
now from day to day she had to listen to
1462
01:36:05.479 --> 01:36:09.359
the story of Orsino's love. At first she sympathized very
1463
01:36:09.359 --> 01:36:12.680
truly with him, but soon her sympathy grew to love
1464
01:36:13.359 --> 01:36:16.640
at last it occurred to Orsino that his hopeless love
1465
01:36:16.680 --> 01:36:19.760
suit might prosper better if he sent this pretty lad
1466
01:36:19.840 --> 01:36:24.079
to woo Olivia for him. Viola unwillingly went on this errand,
1467
01:36:24.479 --> 01:36:28.239
But when she came to the house Malvolio, Olivia steward,
1468
01:36:28.319 --> 01:36:31.920
a vain officious man, sick as his mistress told him
1469
01:36:32.159 --> 01:36:37.359
of self love forbade the messenger admittance. Viola, however, who
1470
01:36:37.439 --> 01:36:41.239
was now called Cesario, refused to take any denial and
1471
01:36:41.399 --> 01:36:45.079
vowed to have speech with the Countess. Olivia, hearing how
1472
01:36:45.119 --> 01:36:49.560
her instructions were defied, and curious to see this daring youth, said,
1473
01:36:50.119 --> 01:36:54.760
will once more hear Orsino's embassy. When Villa was admitted
1474
01:36:54.760 --> 01:36:57.319
to her presence and the servants had been sent away,
1475
01:36:57.720 --> 01:37:01.199
she listened patiently to the reproaches which this bold messenger
1476
01:37:01.199 --> 01:37:04.199
from the Duke poured upon her. And listening she fell
1477
01:37:04.239 --> 01:37:07.960
in love with the supposed Cesario. And when Cesareo had gone,
1478
01:37:08.279 --> 01:37:12.000
Olivia longed to send some love token after him, so,
1479
01:37:12.399 --> 01:37:16.640
calling Malvolio, she bade him follow the boy. He left
1480
01:37:16.640 --> 01:37:20.000
this ring behind him, she said, taking one from her finger,
1481
01:37:20.520 --> 01:37:23.600
Tell him I will none of it. Malvolio did as
1482
01:37:23.640 --> 01:37:26.520
he was bid. And then Viola, who of course knew
1483
01:37:26.560 --> 01:37:29.159
perfectly well that she had left no ring behind her,
1484
01:37:29.560 --> 01:37:33.199
saw with a woman's quickness that Olivia loved her. Then
1485
01:37:33.239 --> 01:37:36.239
she went back to the Duke, very sad at heart
1486
01:37:36.359 --> 01:37:40.840
for her lover, and for Olivia, and for herself. It
1487
01:37:40.920 --> 01:37:43.800
was but cold comfort she could give Orsino, who now
1488
01:37:43.920 --> 01:37:47.039
sought to ease the pangs of despised love by listening
1489
01:37:47.039 --> 01:37:51.880
to sweet music while Cesario stood by his side. Ah,
1490
01:37:52.079 --> 01:37:55.039
said the Duke to his page that night, you too
1491
01:37:55.199 --> 01:37:59.800
have been in love a little, answered Vila. What kind
1492
01:37:59.800 --> 01:38:03.840
of woman is it? He asked of your complexion? She
1493
01:38:04.000 --> 01:38:08.720
answered what years? A faith was his next question? To
1494
01:38:08.840 --> 01:38:12.439
this came the pretty answer about your years? My lord
1495
01:38:13.159 --> 01:38:16.600
too old? By heaven, cried the Duke. Let still the
1496
01:38:16.680 --> 01:38:21.000
woman take an elder than herself, and Vilah, very meekly said,
1497
01:38:21.479 --> 01:38:24.800
I think it well, my lord. By and by, Orsino
1498
01:38:24.880 --> 01:38:28.520
begged Caesarea once more to visit Olivia and to plead
1499
01:38:28.600 --> 01:38:32.319
his love suit. But she, thinking to dissuade him, said,
1500
01:38:33.119 --> 01:38:36.640
if some lady loved you as you love Olivia, Ah,
1501
01:38:36.880 --> 01:38:41.159
that cannot be, said the Duke, But I know Villah
1502
01:38:41.199 --> 01:38:44.279
went on, what love woman? May have for a man.
1503
01:38:44.720 --> 01:38:47.359
My father had a daughter loved a man, as it
1504
01:38:47.479 --> 01:38:51.319
might be, she added, blushing, Perhaps were I a woman,
1505
01:38:51.359 --> 01:38:54.600
I should love, your lordship? And what is her history,
1506
01:38:55.000 --> 01:38:59.760
he asked, a blank my lord Vilea answered, she never
1507
01:38:59.840 --> 01:39:03.319
to love, but let concealment, like a worm in the
1508
01:39:03.359 --> 01:39:07.199
bud feed on her damask cheek. She pined in thought,
1509
01:39:07.880 --> 01:39:10.760
and with a green and yellow melancholy, she sat like
1510
01:39:10.880 --> 01:39:16.159
patience on a monument, smiling at grief. Was not this love, indeed,
1511
01:39:16.800 --> 01:39:19.680
but died thy sister of her love? My boy? The
1512
01:39:19.800 --> 01:39:22.840
Duke asked, and Villa, who had all the time been
1513
01:39:22.880 --> 01:39:25.840
telling her own love for him in this pretty fashion, said,
1514
01:39:26.680 --> 01:39:29.159
I am all the daughters my father has, and all
1515
01:39:29.199 --> 01:39:33.119
the brothers. Sir, shall I go to the lady to
1516
01:39:33.159 --> 01:39:36.359
her in haste, said the Duke at once, forgetting all
1517
01:39:36.399 --> 01:39:41.199
about the story, and give her this jewel. So Villa went,
1518
01:39:41.560 --> 01:39:44.479
And this time poor Olivia was unable to hide her
1519
01:39:44.520 --> 01:39:48.119
love and openly confessed it with such passionate truth that
1520
01:39:48.239 --> 01:39:51.920
Villa left her hastily, saying, never more will I deplore
1521
01:39:51.960 --> 01:39:55.800
my master's tears to you. But in vowing this, Villa
1522
01:39:55.880 --> 01:39:58.159
did not know the tender pity she would feel for
1523
01:39:58.199 --> 01:40:01.159
others suffering. So when o Livia, in the violence of
1524
01:40:01.159 --> 01:40:04.279
her love, sent a messenger praying Cesareo to visit her
1525
01:40:04.319 --> 01:40:08.079
once more, Cesareo had no heart to refuse the request.
1526
01:40:08.920 --> 01:40:12.000
But the favors which Olivia bestowed upon this mere page
1527
01:40:12.239 --> 01:40:15.920
aroused the jealousy of Sir Andrew Egyu Cheek, a foolish,
1528
01:40:15.920 --> 01:40:18.680
rejected lover of hers, who at that time was staying
1529
01:40:18.720 --> 01:40:21.680
at her house with her merry old uncle, Sir Toby.
1530
01:40:21.720 --> 01:40:25.199
This same Sir Toby dearly loved a practical joke, and,
1531
01:40:25.359 --> 01:40:28.039
knowing Sir Andrew to be an errant coward, he thought
1532
01:40:28.039 --> 01:40:29.960
that if he could bring off a duel between him
1533
01:40:30.000 --> 01:40:33.359
and Cesareo, there would be brave sport. Indeed, so he
1534
01:40:33.399 --> 01:40:36.319
induced Sir Andrew to send a challenge, which he himself
1535
01:40:36.359 --> 01:40:40.079
took to Cesareo. The poor page, in great terror, said,
1536
01:40:40.800 --> 01:40:42.720
I will return again to the house. I am no
1537
01:40:42.880 --> 01:40:46.399
fighter back. You shall not to the house, said Sir
1538
01:40:46.439 --> 01:40:49.840
Toby unless you fight me first. And as he looked
1539
01:40:49.840 --> 01:40:52.560
a very fierce old gentleman, Violeah thought it best to
1540
01:40:52.600 --> 01:40:55.640
await Sir Andrew's coming, and when he at last made
1541
01:40:55.640 --> 01:40:57.840
his appearance. In a great fright. If the truth had
1542
01:40:57.880 --> 01:41:01.239
been known, she tremblingly drew her soword, and Sir Andrew,
1543
01:41:01.279 --> 01:41:04.880
in like fear, followed her example, happily for them both.
1544
01:41:04.960 --> 01:41:07.319
At this moment some officers of the court came on
1545
01:41:07.359 --> 01:41:11.279
the scene and stopped the intended duel. Viola gladly made
1546
01:41:11.279 --> 01:41:13.880
off with what speed she might, while Sir Toby called
1547
01:41:13.880 --> 01:41:17.399
after her, a very paltry boy, and more a coward
1548
01:41:17.479 --> 01:41:21.520
than a hare. Now, while these things were happening, Sebastian
1549
01:41:21.520 --> 01:41:23.880
had escaped all the dangers of the deep and had
1550
01:41:23.960 --> 01:41:26.880
landed safely in Olyria, where he determined to make his
1551
01:41:26.960 --> 01:41:29.720
way to the Duke's court. On his way thither, he
1552
01:41:29.760 --> 01:41:32.680
passed Olivia's house, just as Villa had left it in
1553
01:41:32.720 --> 01:41:35.159
such a hurry. And whom should he meet but Sir
1554
01:41:35.199 --> 01:41:39.439
Andrew and Sir Toby. Sir Andrew, mistaking Sebastian for the
1555
01:41:39.479 --> 01:41:42.960
cowardly Cesareo, took his courage in both hands, and, walking
1556
01:41:43.039 --> 01:41:47.399
up to him, struck him, saying, there's for you, Why
1557
01:41:47.479 --> 01:41:51.520
there's for you? And there and there said Sebastian, hitting
1558
01:41:51.560 --> 01:41:54.600
back a great deal harder, and again and again till
1559
01:41:54.680 --> 01:41:58.159
Sir Toby came to the rescue of his friend. Sebastian, however,
1560
01:41:58.199 --> 01:42:01.520
tore himself free from Sir Toby's clutch and drawing his sword,
1561
01:42:01.600 --> 01:42:04.920
would have fought them both, but that Olivia herself, having
1562
01:42:04.960 --> 01:42:08.159
heard of the quarrel, came running in and with many reproaches,
1563
01:42:08.199 --> 01:42:11.720
sent Sir Toby and his friend away. Then, turning to Sebastian,
1564
01:42:11.960 --> 01:42:15.319
whom she too thought to be Cesareo, she besought him
1565
01:42:15.319 --> 01:42:17.479
with many a pretty speech to come into the house
1566
01:42:17.479 --> 01:42:21.079
with her. Sebastian, half dazed and all delighted with her
1567
01:42:21.119 --> 01:42:25.279
beauty and grace, readily consented, and that very day, so
1568
01:42:25.560 --> 01:42:28.600
great was Olivia's haste. They were married before she had
1569
01:42:28.600 --> 01:42:31.960
discovered that he was not Cesareo or Sebastian was quite
1570
01:42:32.000 --> 01:42:35.920
certain whether or not he was in a dream. Meanwhile, Orsino,
1571
01:42:36.239 --> 01:42:40.119
hearing how ill Cesareo sped with Olivia, visited her himself,
1572
01:42:40.359 --> 01:42:44.600
taking Cesareo with him. Olivia met them before her door, and,
1573
01:42:44.720 --> 01:42:47.880
seeing as she thought her husband there, reproached him for
1574
01:42:47.960 --> 01:42:50.359
leaving her. While to the Duke, she said that his
1575
01:42:50.479 --> 01:42:53.279
suit was as fat and wholesome to her as howling
1576
01:42:53.359 --> 01:42:58.960
after music, Still so cruel said Orsino. Still so constant
1577
01:42:59.319 --> 01:43:03.880
she answered. Then Orsino's anger growing to cruelty, he vowed
1578
01:43:03.920 --> 01:43:06.880
that to be revenged on her, he would kill Cesareo,
1579
01:43:07.159 --> 01:43:10.319
whom he knew she loved. Come boy, he said to
1580
01:43:10.359 --> 01:43:13.600
the page, and Vila, following him as he moved away,
1581
01:43:13.720 --> 01:43:17.640
said I to do you rest? A thousand deaths would die.
1582
01:43:18.199 --> 01:43:23.720
A great fear took hold on Olivia, and she cried aloud, Cesareo, husband, stay,
1583
01:43:24.760 --> 01:43:29.039
her husband, asked the Duke angrily. No, my lord, not,
1584
01:43:29.199 --> 01:43:33.760
I said, Vila, call forth. The Holy Father, cried Olivia,
1585
01:43:34.039 --> 01:43:37.000
and the priest, who had married Sebastian and Olivia, coming in,
1586
01:43:37.359 --> 01:43:41.800
declared Cesareo to be the bridegroom. Oh thou dissembling cub,
1587
01:43:42.119 --> 01:43:46.039
The Duke exclaimed, farewell and take her, but go where
1588
01:43:46.079 --> 01:43:49.880
thou and I henceforth may never meet. At this moment,
1589
01:43:49.960 --> 01:43:53.680
Sir Andrew came up with bleeding crown, complaining that Cesareo
1590
01:43:53.760 --> 01:43:56.680
had broken his head and Sir Toby's as well. I
1591
01:43:56.760 --> 01:44:00.640
never hurt you, said Vila, very positively. You your sword
1592
01:44:00.640 --> 01:44:02.560
on me, But I bespoke you fair and hurt you.
1593
01:44:02.640 --> 01:44:06.359
Not Yet, for all her protesting, no one there believed her,
1594
01:44:06.640 --> 01:44:08.720
but all their thoughts were on a sudden change to
1595
01:44:08.840 --> 01:44:13.039
wonder when Sebastian came in. I am sorry, madam, he
1596
01:44:13.119 --> 01:44:16.680
said to his wife, I have hurt your kinsman. Pardon me, sweet,
1597
01:44:16.720 --> 01:44:18.840
even for the vows we made each other so late ago.
1598
01:44:19.840 --> 01:44:26.039
One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons, cried
1599
01:44:26.079 --> 01:44:29.439
the duke, looking first at Villa and then at Sebastian.
1600
01:44:30.279 --> 01:44:34.319
An apple clefton too, said one who knew Sebastian is
1601
01:44:34.399 --> 01:44:38.119
not more twin than these two creatures, which is Sebastian?
1602
01:44:39.079 --> 01:44:42.479
I never had a brother, said Sebastian. I had a
1603
01:44:42.560 --> 01:44:46.840
sister whom the blind waves and surges have devoured. Were
1604
01:44:46.880 --> 01:44:49.800
you a woman? He said to Vila, I should let
1605
01:44:49.800 --> 01:44:53.399
my tears fall upon your cheek and say thrice, welcome
1606
01:44:53.640 --> 01:44:59.159
drowned Viola. Then Villa, rejoicing to see her dear brother alive,
1607
01:44:59.560 --> 01:45:03.279
confess that she was indeed his sister Vilah. As she spoke,
1608
01:45:03.600 --> 01:45:06.840
Orsino felt the pity that is akin to love. Boy,
1609
01:45:07.239 --> 01:45:10.199
He said, thou hast said to me a thousand times,
1610
01:45:10.239 --> 01:45:13.359
thou never shouldst love woman like to me? And all
1611
01:45:13.399 --> 01:45:17.960
those sayings will I overswear? Villa replied, And all those swearings,
1612
01:45:18.079 --> 01:45:22.319
keep true, give me thy hand. Orsino cried in gladness,
1613
01:45:22.680 --> 01:45:27.079
thou shalt be my wife and my fancy's queen. Thus
1614
01:45:27.159 --> 01:45:30.199
was the gentle Vilah made happy, while Olivia found in
1615
01:45:30.279 --> 01:45:33.720
Sebastian a constant lover and a good husband, and he
1616
01:45:33.880 --> 01:45:39.079
and her a true and loving wife. End of chapter eight.
1617
01:45:45.079 --> 01:45:49.640
Chapter nine of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
1618
01:45:49.800 --> 01:45:52.960
Our LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
1619
01:45:52.960 --> 01:45:58.880
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
1620
01:45:58.920 --> 01:46:05.479
by Maria True. The children Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit, Chapter nine,
1621
01:46:05.840 --> 01:46:09.399
As you like It. There was once a wicked duke
1622
01:46:09.479 --> 01:46:12.359
named Frederick, who took the dukedom that should have belonged
1623
01:46:12.359 --> 01:46:15.920
to his brother and kept it for himself, sending his
1624
01:46:15.920 --> 01:46:19.760
brother into exile. His brother went into the forest of Arden,
1625
01:46:20.119 --> 01:46:22.760
where he lived the life of a bold forester, as
1626
01:46:22.840 --> 01:46:26.760
Robin Hood did in Sherwood Forest in our England. The
1627
01:46:26.800 --> 01:46:31.520
banished duke's daughter, Rosalind, remained with Celia, Frederick's daughter, and
1628
01:46:31.600 --> 01:46:35.000
the two loved each other more than most sisters. One
1629
01:46:35.039 --> 01:46:38.119
day there was a wrestling match at court, and Rosalind
1630
01:46:38.119 --> 01:46:42.399
and Celia went to see it. Charles, a celebrated wrestler,
1631
01:46:42.520 --> 01:46:45.720
was there who killed many men in contests of this kind.
1632
01:46:47.079 --> 01:46:49.399
The young man he was to wrestle with was so
1633
01:46:49.439 --> 01:46:52.840
slender and youthful that Rosalind and Celia thought he would
1634
01:46:52.840 --> 01:46:56.640
surely be killed as others had been. So they spoke
1635
01:46:56.680 --> 01:46:58.880
to him and asked him not to attempt so dangerous
1636
01:46:58.880 --> 01:47:02.079
an adventure. But the only effect of their words was
1637
01:47:02.159 --> 01:47:04.359
to make him wish to come off well in the encounter,
1638
01:47:04.880 --> 01:47:09.000
so as to win praise from such sweet ladies. Orlando,
1639
01:47:09.239 --> 01:47:12.479
like Rosalind's father, was being kept out of his inheritance
1640
01:47:12.520 --> 01:47:16.079
by his brother, and was so sad at his brother's unkindness,
1641
01:47:16.359 --> 01:47:19.079
though until he saw Rosalind, he did not care much
1642
01:47:19.119 --> 01:47:22.399
whether he lived or died. But now the sight of
1643
01:47:22.439 --> 01:47:25.640
the fair Rosalind gave him strength and courage, so that
1644
01:47:25.680 --> 01:47:29.039
he did marvelously and at last threw Charles to such
1645
01:47:29.039 --> 01:47:31.319
a tune that the rustler had to be carried off
1646
01:47:31.359 --> 01:47:34.880
the ground. Duke Frederick was pleased with his courage and
1647
01:47:34.960 --> 01:47:38.520
asked his name. My name is Orlando, and I am
1648
01:47:38.520 --> 01:47:41.479
the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boyd's, said the
1649
01:47:41.520 --> 01:47:45.279
young man now Sir Rowland de Boys, when he was alive,
1650
01:47:45.920 --> 01:47:48.399
had been a good friend to the banished duke, so
1651
01:47:48.520 --> 01:47:51.960
that Frederick heard with regret whose son Orlando was, and
1652
01:47:52.000 --> 01:47:54.439
would not befriend him, and went away in a very
1653
01:47:54.479 --> 01:47:57.920
bad temper. But Rosalind was delighted to hear that this
1654
01:47:58.039 --> 01:48:01.279
handsome young stranger was the son of her father's old friend.
1655
01:48:02.000 --> 01:48:04.439
And as they were going away, she turned back more
1656
01:48:04.479 --> 01:48:06.720
than once to say another kind word to the brave
1657
01:48:06.760 --> 01:48:10.920
young man. Gentlemen, she said, giving him a chain from
1658
01:48:10.920 --> 01:48:13.920
her neck. Wear this for me I could give more,
1659
01:48:14.279 --> 01:48:18.560
but that my hand lacks means. Then when she was going,
1660
01:48:18.800 --> 01:48:21.920
Orlando could not speak so much was he overcome by
1661
01:48:21.920 --> 01:48:24.640
the magic of her beauty. But when she was gone,
1662
01:48:24.680 --> 01:48:28.520
he said, I wrestled with Charles and overthrew him, and
1663
01:48:28.560 --> 01:48:35.079
now I myself am conquered. Oh heavenly, Rosalind. Rosalind and Celia,
1664
01:48:35.199 --> 01:48:38.399
when they were alone, began to talk about the handsome rustler,
1665
01:48:39.119 --> 01:48:43.520
and Rosalind confessed that she loved him at first sight. Come, come,
1666
01:48:43.720 --> 01:48:49.640
said Celia. Wrestle with thy affections, oh, answered Rosalind. They
1667
01:48:49.720 --> 01:48:52.720
take the part of a better wrestler than myself. Look,
1668
01:48:53.039 --> 01:48:57.359
here comes the Duke with his eyes full languor, said Celia,
1669
01:48:58.000 --> 01:49:00.479
you must leave the court at once, he said to
1670
01:49:00.600 --> 01:49:06.279
Rosaland why, she asked, never mind? Why, answered the Duke.
1671
01:49:06.720 --> 01:49:11.079
You are banished. Pronounce that sentence. Then on me, my lord,
1672
01:49:11.439 --> 01:49:15.159
said Celia, I cannot live out of her accompany. You
1673
01:49:15.199 --> 01:49:19.119
are a foolish girl, answered her father. You, Rosalind, If
1674
01:49:19.199 --> 01:49:21.560
within ten days you are found within twenty miles of
1675
01:49:21.640 --> 01:49:25.720
my court, you die. So Rosalind set out to seek
1676
01:49:25.720 --> 01:49:28.119
her father, the banished duke in the forest of Arden.
1677
01:49:29.000 --> 01:49:31.880
Celia loved her too much to let her go alone,
1678
01:49:32.199 --> 01:49:35.760
and as it was rather a dangerous journey, Rosalind, being
1679
01:49:35.800 --> 01:49:38.439
the taller, dressed up as a young countryman. And her
1680
01:49:38.479 --> 01:49:41.800
cousin is a country girl, and Rosalind said that she
1681
01:49:41.800 --> 01:49:46.159
would be called Ganymead and Celia Elina. They were very
1682
01:49:46.239 --> 01:49:48.640
tired when at last they came to the forest of Arden,
1683
01:49:49.279 --> 01:49:51.800
and as they were sitting on the grass, almost dying
1684
01:49:51.800 --> 01:49:55.960
with fatigue, a countryman passed that way, and Ganymade asked
1685
01:49:56.000 --> 01:49:58.920
him if he could get them food. He did so
1686
01:49:59.159 --> 01:50:01.319
and told them that a sh shepherd's flocks and house
1687
01:50:01.359 --> 01:50:04.239
were to be sold. They bought these with the money
1688
01:50:04.279 --> 01:50:06.920
they had brought with them, and settled down as shepherd
1689
01:50:06.920 --> 01:50:11.840
and shepherdess in the forest. In the meantime, Orlando's brother Oliver,
1690
01:50:12.359 --> 01:50:15.880
having sought to take his life, Orlando, also wandered into
1691
01:50:15.880 --> 01:50:19.079
the forest, and there met with the rightful Duke, and,
1692
01:50:19.199 --> 01:50:24.399
being kindly received, stayed with him. Now Orlando could think
1693
01:50:24.399 --> 01:50:27.760
of nothing but Rosalind, and went about the forest, carving
1694
01:50:27.760 --> 01:50:30.760
her name on trees and writing love sonnets and hanging
1695
01:50:30.760 --> 01:50:34.359
them on the bushes. And there Rosalind and Celia found them.
1696
01:50:35.199 --> 01:50:37.680
One day, Orlando met them, but he did not know
1697
01:50:37.880 --> 01:50:41.079
Rosalind in her boy's clothes. Though he liked the pretty
1698
01:50:41.119 --> 01:50:43.880
shepherd youth, because he fancied a likeness in him to her.
1699
01:50:43.960 --> 01:50:48.359
He loved. There is a foolish lover, said Rosalind, who
1700
01:50:48.399 --> 01:50:51.720
haunts these woods and hangs sonnets on the trees. If
1701
01:50:51.720 --> 01:50:54.399
I could find him, I would secure him of his folly.
1702
01:50:55.760 --> 01:50:59.600
Orlando confessed that he was his foolish lover, and Rosalind said,
1703
01:51:00.439 --> 01:51:02.600
if you will come and see me every day, I
1704
01:51:02.640 --> 01:51:05.159
will pretend to be Rosalind, and you shall come and
1705
01:51:05.239 --> 01:51:07.880
court me as you would if I were really your lady.
1706
01:51:08.520 --> 01:51:11.479
And I will take her part and be wayward and contrary,
1707
01:51:11.880 --> 01:51:13.960
as is the way of women, till I make you
1708
01:51:14.000 --> 01:51:17.520
ashamed of your folly in loving her. And so every
1709
01:51:17.560 --> 01:51:19.920
day he went to her house and took a pleasure
1710
01:51:19.960 --> 01:51:22.039
in saying to her all the pretty things he would
1711
01:51:22.079 --> 01:51:24.920
have said to Rosalind. And she had the fine and
1712
01:51:24.960 --> 01:51:27.479
secret joy of knowing that all his love words came
1713
01:51:27.560 --> 01:51:31.880
to the right ears. Thus many days passed pleasantly away.
1714
01:51:33.119 --> 01:51:35.920
Rosalind met the Duke one day, and the Duke asked
1715
01:51:35.920 --> 01:51:40.039
her what family he came from, and Rosalind, forgetting that
1716
01:51:40.079 --> 01:51:42.600
she was dressed as a peasant boy, answered that she
1717
01:51:42.640 --> 01:51:45.159
came as of good parentage as the Duke did, which
1718
01:51:45.199 --> 01:51:48.800
made him smile. One morning, as Orlando was going to
1719
01:51:48.840 --> 01:51:51.399
visit guiny Meede, he saw a man asleep on the ground,
1720
01:51:52.119 --> 01:51:54.399
and a large serpent had wound itself round his neck.
1721
01:51:55.159 --> 01:51:58.720
Orlando came nearer, and the serpent glided away. Then he
1722
01:51:58.760 --> 01:52:02.399
saw that there was a lioness Caruch near, waiting for
1723
01:52:02.439 --> 01:52:05.079
the man who was asleep to wake, for they say
1724
01:52:05.159 --> 01:52:07.279
the lions will not pray on anything that is dead
1725
01:52:07.359 --> 01:52:11.159
or sleeping. Then Orlando looked at the man and saw
1726
01:52:11.199 --> 01:52:14.000
that it was his wicked brother Oliver who had tried
1727
01:52:14.039 --> 01:52:17.000
to take his life. At first, he thought to leave
1728
01:52:17.079 --> 01:52:19.479
him to his fate, but the faith and honor of
1729
01:52:19.520 --> 01:52:22.840
a gentleman withheld him from this wickedness. He fought with
1730
01:52:22.920 --> 01:52:26.880
the lioness and killed her and saved his brother's life.
1731
01:52:27.199 --> 01:52:30.520
While Orlando was fighting the lioness, Oliver woke to see
1732
01:52:30.560 --> 01:52:33.960
his brother, whom he had treated so badly, saving him
1733
01:52:33.960 --> 01:52:36.840
from a wild beast at the risk of his own life.
1734
01:52:37.159 --> 01:52:39.680
This made him repent of his wickedness, and he begged
1735
01:52:39.800 --> 01:52:43.199
Orlando's pardon with many tears, and from thenceforth they were
1736
01:52:43.199 --> 01:52:47.359
dear brothers. The lioness had wounded Orlando's arm so much
1737
01:52:47.680 --> 01:52:50.119
that he could not go to see the Shepherd, so
1738
01:52:50.159 --> 01:52:52.800
he sent his brother to ask Annymeade, whom I do
1739
01:52:52.880 --> 01:52:56.680
call my rosaland he added to come to him. Oliver
1740
01:52:56.760 --> 01:52:59.640
went and told the whole story to Ganymate and Elena,
1741
01:53:00.000 --> 01:53:02.079
and Anina was so charmed with his manly way of
1742
01:53:02.079 --> 01:53:04.680
confessing his thoughts that she fell in love with him
1743
01:53:04.720 --> 01:53:08.239
at once. But when Gannymad heard of the danger Orlando
1744
01:53:08.279 --> 01:53:11.840
had been in, she fainted, and when she came to herself, said,
1745
01:53:11.880 --> 01:53:14.520
truly enough, I should have been a woman by right.
1746
01:53:15.359 --> 01:53:18.119
Oliver went back to his brother and told him all this, saying,
1747
01:53:18.760 --> 01:53:21.000
I love Alina so well that I will give up
1748
01:53:21.000 --> 01:53:23.159
my estates to you and marry her and live here
1749
01:53:23.199 --> 01:53:27.159
as a shepherd. Let your wedding be tomorrow, said Orlando,
1750
01:53:27.319 --> 01:53:29.920
and I will ask the Duke and his friends go
1751
01:53:29.960 --> 01:53:33.000
to the shepherdess she is alone, for here comes her brother.
1752
01:53:34.600 --> 01:53:37.600
And sure enough Gannymae was coming the wood toward them.
1753
01:53:39.079 --> 01:53:41.479
When Orlando told gannymat how his brother was to be
1754
01:53:41.600 --> 01:53:45.199
married on the morrow, he added, oh, how bitter a
1755
01:53:45.239 --> 01:53:48.119
thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes.
1756
01:53:49.439 --> 01:53:53.000
Then answered Rosalind, still in Gannymede's dress and speaking with
1757
01:53:53.079 --> 01:53:56.479
his voice. If you do love Rosalind so near the heart,
1758
01:53:57.000 --> 01:53:59.720
then when your brother marries Elina, shall you marry her.
1759
01:54:00.600 --> 01:54:02.840
I will set her before your eyes. You mean as
1760
01:54:02.920 --> 01:54:06.640
she is and without any danger? Do you mean it,
1761
01:54:07.199 --> 01:54:11.640
cried Orlando, by my life, I do, answered Rosalind. Therefore,
1762
01:54:11.680 --> 01:54:14.319
put on your best array and bid your friends to come,
1763
01:54:15.000 --> 01:54:17.960
for if you will be married tomorrow, you shall aunt
1764
01:54:17.960 --> 01:54:21.920
to Rosalind. If you will now the next day, the
1765
01:54:22.000 --> 01:54:24.960
Duke and his followers, Aunt Orlando and Oliver and Lena
1766
01:54:25.000 --> 01:54:29.039
were all gathered together for the wedding. Do you believe, Orlando,
1767
01:54:29.119 --> 01:54:31.079
said the Duke, that the boy can do all that
1768
01:54:31.119 --> 01:54:35.119
he has promised. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not,
1769
01:54:35.239 --> 01:54:39.479
said Orlando. Then Ganymy came in and said to the Duke,
1770
01:54:39.960 --> 01:54:42.039
if I bring in your daughter Rosalind, will you give
1771
01:54:42.079 --> 01:54:45.319
her to Orlando here? That I would, said the Duke,
1772
01:54:45.720 --> 01:54:48.960
if I had all kingdoms to give with her. And
1773
01:54:49.079 --> 01:54:50.880
you say you will have her when I bring her,
1774
01:54:51.279 --> 01:54:54.840
She said to Orlando that I would. He answered, were
1775
01:54:54.840 --> 01:54:59.159
a king of all kingdoms. Then Rosalind and Celia went out,
1776
01:54:59.199 --> 01:55:02.039
and Rosalind put on her pretty woman's clothes again, and
1777
01:55:02.119 --> 01:55:05.560
after a while came back. She turned to her father,
1778
01:55:06.199 --> 01:55:09.760
I give myself to you, for I am yours. If
1779
01:55:09.800 --> 01:55:12.760
there be truth in sight, he said, you are my daughter.
1780
01:55:14.079 --> 01:55:16.880
Then she said to Orlando, I give myself to you,
1781
01:55:17.039 --> 01:55:20.399
for I am yours. If there be truth in sight,
1782
01:55:20.560 --> 01:55:24.359
he said, you are my Rosalind. I will have no
1783
01:55:24.439 --> 01:55:26.960
father if you be not he. She said to the
1784
01:55:27.079 --> 01:55:30.279
Duke and to Orlando, I will have no husband if
1785
01:55:30.319 --> 01:55:34.199
you be not he. So Orlando and Rosalem were married,
1786
01:55:34.760 --> 01:55:37.960
and Oliver and Celia, and they lived happily ever after,
1787
01:55:38.399 --> 01:55:41.880
returning with the Duke to the dukedom. For Frederick admissioned
1788
01:55:41.880 --> 01:55:45.039
by a holy hermit the wickedness of his ways, and
1789
01:55:45.119 --> 01:55:48.279
selgave back the dukedom of his brother, and himself went
1790
01:55:48.279 --> 01:55:52.039
into a monastery to pray for forgiveness. The wedding was
1791
01:55:52.079 --> 01:55:54.359
a merry one, and the mossy glades of the forest,
1792
01:55:54.720 --> 01:55:57.239
where the green leaves danced in the sun and the
1793
01:55:57.279 --> 01:55:59.880
birds sang their sweetest wedding hymns of the new married.
1794
01:56:01.319 --> 01:56:03.880
A shepherd and shepherdess who had been friends with Rosalind
1795
01:56:04.119 --> 01:56:06.920
when she was herself disguised as a shepherd, were married
1796
01:56:06.960 --> 01:56:10.119
on the same day. And all of such pretty feastings
1797
01:56:10.159 --> 01:56:13.520
and merrymakings as could be nowhere within four walls, but
1798
01:56:13.640 --> 01:56:16.920
only in the beautiful greenwood. This is one of the
1799
01:56:16.960 --> 01:56:20.720
songs that Orlanda made about his Rosalind. From the east
1800
01:56:20.800 --> 01:56:25.239
to western end. No jewel is like Rosalind. Her worth
1801
01:56:25.279 --> 01:56:29.319
being mounted on the wind throughout the world bears Rosalind.
1802
01:56:31.199 --> 01:56:36.600
End of Chapter nine recording by Maria Chrees.
1803
01:56:42.239 --> 01:56:47.800
Chapter ten of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
1804
01:56:48.319 --> 01:56:51.479
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
1805
01:56:51.520 --> 01:56:57.239
information or to volunteer, visit LibriVox dot org. Read by
1806
01:56:57.279 --> 01:57:09.119
Dennis Sayersildren's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit, Chapter ten Pericles. Pericles,
1807
01:57:09.399 --> 01:57:13.199
the Prince of Tire was unfortunate enough to make an
1808
01:57:13.359 --> 01:57:17.920
enemy of Antiochus, the powerful and wicked King of Antioch.
1809
01:57:18.600 --> 01:57:21.319
And so great was the danger in which he stood, that,
1810
01:57:21.840 --> 01:57:26.560
on the advice of his trustee counselor, Lord Helicanus, he
1811
01:57:26.640 --> 01:57:30.239
determined to travel about the world for a time. He
1812
01:57:30.359 --> 01:57:34.000
came to this decision despite the fact that, by the
1813
01:57:34.119 --> 01:57:37.319
death of his father, he was now King of Tire.
1814
01:57:38.159 --> 01:57:43.159
So he set sail for Tarsus, appointing Helicanus regent during
1815
01:57:43.239 --> 01:57:47.439
his absence. That he did wisely and thus leaving his kingdom,
1816
01:57:48.039 --> 01:57:52.600
was soon made clear. Hardly had he sailed on his voyage,
1817
01:57:53.000 --> 01:57:57.680
when Lord Thalliard arrived from Antioch with instructions from his
1818
01:57:57.920 --> 01:58:03.920
royal master to kill Heracles. The faithful Helicanus soon discovered
1819
01:58:03.960 --> 01:58:07.479
the deadly purpose of this wicked lord, and at once
1820
01:58:07.600 --> 01:58:11.039
sent messengers to Tarsus to warn the king of the
1821
01:58:11.159 --> 01:58:15.000
danger which threatened him. The people of Tarsus were in
1822
01:58:15.119 --> 01:58:19.920
such poverty and distress that Pericles, feeling that he could
1823
01:58:19.960 --> 01:58:24.760
find no safe refuge there, put to sea again. But
1824
01:58:24.840 --> 01:58:28.399
a dreadful storm overtook the ship in which he was,
1825
01:58:29.079 --> 01:58:32.000
and the good vessel was wrecked and split to pieces,
1826
01:58:32.239 --> 01:58:38.359
while of all on board only Pericles was saved, and he,
1827
01:58:38.720 --> 01:58:43.640
in sorry plight, indeed, bruised and wet and faint, he
1828
01:58:43.800 --> 01:58:47.399
was flung upon the cruel rocks on the coast of Pentapolis,
1829
01:58:47.880 --> 01:58:51.840
the country of the good King Simonides. Worn out as
1830
01:58:51.840 --> 01:58:56.560
he was, he looked for nothing but death, and that speedily.
1831
01:58:57.279 --> 01:59:00.720
But some fishermen coming down the beach, found him there
1832
01:59:01.079 --> 01:59:04.479
and gave him clothes and bade him be of good cheer.
1833
01:59:05.600 --> 01:59:08.399
Thou shalt come home with me, said one of them,
1834
01:59:08.840 --> 01:59:13.359
and we will have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting days,
1835
01:59:13.399 --> 01:59:20.079
and moreore puddings and flapjacks, and thou shalt be welcome. Pericles,
1836
01:59:20.239 --> 01:59:24.439
touched by their kindness, took heart of grace, and the
1837
01:59:24.560 --> 01:59:28.119
love of life came back to him. They told him
1838
01:59:28.159 --> 01:59:31.439
that on the morrow, many princes and knights were going
1839
01:59:31.720 --> 01:59:35.800
to the king's court there to joust and tourney for
1840
01:59:35.920 --> 01:59:40.880
the love of his daughter, the beautiful princess Thaysa did.
1841
01:59:40.960 --> 01:59:45.680
But my fortunes equal my desires, said Pericles. I'd wish
1842
01:59:45.840 --> 01:59:49.000
to make one. There. As he spoke, some of the
1843
01:59:49.079 --> 01:59:52.880
fishermen came by, drawing their net, and it dragged heavily,
1844
01:59:53.319 --> 01:59:57.760
resisting all their efforts. But at last they hauled it in,
1845
01:59:58.560 --> 02:00:01.800
to find that it contained a suit of rusty armor.
1846
02:00:02.479 --> 02:00:06.800
And looking at it, he blessed fortune for her kindness,
1847
02:00:06.840 --> 02:00:10.239
and he saw that it was his own, which had
1848
02:00:10.279 --> 02:00:13.720
been given to him by his dead father. He begged
1849
02:00:13.760 --> 02:00:16.920
the fisherman to let him have it, that he might
1850
02:00:17.000 --> 02:00:20.840
go to court and take part in the tournament, promising
1851
02:00:20.880 --> 02:00:25.439
that if ever his ill fortunes bettered, he would reward
1852
02:00:25.520 --> 02:00:31.039
them well. The fisherman readily consented, and being thus fully equipped,
1853
02:00:31.560 --> 02:00:36.239
Pericles set off in his rusty armor to the king's court.
1854
02:00:36.640 --> 02:00:40.279
The device on his shield was a withered branch that
1855
02:00:40.720 --> 02:00:44.439
was only green on the top, and the motto in
1856
02:00:44.640 --> 02:00:50.079
hoc spevevo in this hope I live a pretty moral
1857
02:00:50.439 --> 02:00:55.239
said Simonides to his daughter from the dejected state wherein
1858
02:00:55.319 --> 02:00:59.680
he is. He hopes by you his fortunes yet may
1859
02:00:59.720 --> 02:01:05.359
flirh in the tournament none bore himself so well as Pericles,
1860
02:01:05.960 --> 02:01:09.159
and he won the wreath of victory, which the fair
1861
02:01:09.239 --> 02:01:14.800
princess herself placed on his brows. Then, at her father's command,
1862
02:01:15.279 --> 02:01:18.800
she asked him who he was and whence he came,
1863
02:01:19.520 --> 02:01:22.760
and he answered that he was a knight of Tire
1864
02:01:23.319 --> 02:01:27.159
by name Perocles. But he did not tell her that
1865
02:01:27.600 --> 02:01:30.039
he was the king of that country, for he knew
1866
02:01:30.119 --> 02:01:35.520
that if once his whereabouts became known to Antiochus, his
1867
02:01:35.680 --> 02:01:40.560
life would not be worth a pin's purchase. Nevertheless, Dysa
1868
02:01:40.640 --> 02:01:44.239
loved him dearly, and the king was so pleased with
1869
02:01:44.319 --> 02:01:48.359
his courage and graceful bearing that he gladly permitted his
1870
02:01:48.479 --> 02:01:51.880
daughter to have her own way when she told him
1871
02:01:51.920 --> 02:01:57.279
she would marry the stranger knight or die. Thus fortune
1872
02:01:57.439 --> 02:02:00.840
was kind and gracious to Pericles, and he became the
1873
02:02:00.960 --> 02:02:04.600
husband of the fair lady, for whose sake he had
1874
02:02:04.640 --> 02:02:08.199
striven with the knights who came, in all their bravery
1875
02:02:08.600 --> 02:02:13.439
to joust and turney for her love. Meanwhile, the wicked
1876
02:02:13.560 --> 02:02:18.079
king and Tiachus had died, and the people entire, hearing
1877
02:02:18.279 --> 02:02:23.119
no news of their king, urged Lord Helicanus to ascend
1878
02:02:23.199 --> 02:02:27.960
the vacant throne but Helicanus was loyal to his sovereign,
1879
02:02:28.279 --> 02:02:31.399
and for all their urging, they could only get him
1880
02:02:31.399 --> 02:02:34.680
to promise that he would become their king if at
1881
02:02:34.720 --> 02:02:38.920
the end of a year Pericles did not come back. Moreover,
1882
02:02:38.960 --> 02:02:42.520
he sent forth messages far and wide in search of
1883
02:02:42.600 --> 02:02:48.520
the missing Pericles. Some of these made their way to Pentopolis, and,
1884
02:02:48.640 --> 02:02:53.159
finding their king there, told him how discontented his people
1885
02:02:53.239 --> 02:02:57.319
were at his long absence, and that an Tiachus, being dead,
1886
02:02:57.840 --> 02:03:00.439
there was nothing now to hinder him from read turning
1887
02:03:00.479 --> 02:03:04.359
to his kingdom. Then Pericles told his wife and father
1888
02:03:04.439 --> 02:03:08.159
in law who he really was, and they and all
1889
02:03:08.239 --> 02:03:13.600
the subjects of Simonides greatly rejoiced to know that the
1890
02:03:13.680 --> 02:03:18.039
gallant husband of Thaisa was a king in his own right.
1891
02:03:18.960 --> 02:03:22.439
So Pericles set sail with his dear wife for his
1892
02:03:22.600 --> 02:03:26.920
native land. But once more the sea was cruel to him,
1893
02:03:27.560 --> 02:03:31.279
for again a dreadful storm broke out, and while it
1894
02:03:31.439 --> 02:03:34.319
was at its height, a servant came to tell him
1895
02:03:34.640 --> 02:03:38.760
that a little daughter was born to him. This news
1896
02:03:38.960 --> 02:03:42.840
would have made his heart glad, indeed, but that the
1897
02:03:42.920 --> 02:03:46.800
servant went on to add that his wife, his dear
1898
02:03:47.159 --> 02:03:52.399
dear Thysa, was dead while he was praying the gods
1899
02:03:52.439 --> 02:03:55.319
to be good to his little baby girl. The sailors
1900
02:03:55.399 --> 02:03:59.239
came to him, declaring that the queen must be thrown overboard,
1901
02:03:59.720 --> 02:04:03.199
for they believed that the storm would never cease so
1902
02:04:03.319 --> 02:04:08.119
long as a dead body remained in the vessel. Pericles,
1903
02:04:08.479 --> 02:04:13.840
though he despised their superstitious fears, was obliged to yield
1904
02:04:13.960 --> 02:04:18.199
to them. So Thysa was laid in a big chest
1905
02:04:18.680 --> 02:04:22.479
with spices and jewels, and a scroll, on which the
1906
02:04:22.680 --> 02:04:28.560
sorrowful king wrote these lines. Here I give to understand
1907
02:04:28.960 --> 02:04:34.239
if ere this coffin drive a land, I King Peroicles
1908
02:04:34.279 --> 02:04:39.520
have lost this queen worth all our mundane cost. Who
1909
02:04:39.560 --> 02:04:43.520
finds her, give her burying. She was the daughter of
1910
02:04:43.560 --> 02:04:48.359
a king. Besides this treasure for a fee, the gods
1911
02:04:48.720 --> 02:04:54.520
require his charity. Then the chest was cast into the sea,
1912
02:04:54.640 --> 02:04:57.840
and the waves taking it by and by, washed it
1913
02:04:57.920 --> 02:05:01.760
ashore at Ephesus, where it was found by these servants
1914
02:05:01.800 --> 02:05:05.880
of a lord named Seramon. He at once ordered it
1915
02:05:05.960 --> 02:05:09.399
to be opened, and when he saw what it held,
1916
02:05:09.840 --> 02:05:14.239
and how lovely Thysa looked, he doubted if she were dead,
1917
02:05:14.800 --> 02:05:20.000
and took immediate steps to restore her. Then a great
1918
02:05:20.079 --> 02:05:23.079
wonder happened, for she, who had been thrown into the
1919
02:05:23.119 --> 02:05:27.880
sea as dead, came back to life. But feeling sure
1920
02:05:27.960 --> 02:05:31.920
that she would never see her husband again, Dysa retired
1921
02:05:32.000 --> 02:05:37.279
from the world and became a priestess of the goddess Diana.
1922
02:05:37.680 --> 02:05:42.239
While these things were happening, Pericles went on to Tarsus
1923
02:05:42.239 --> 02:05:46.439
with his little daughter, whom he called Marina because she
1924
02:05:46.520 --> 02:05:50.880
had been born at sea. Leaving her in the hands
1925
02:05:50.880 --> 02:05:54.359
of his old friend, the governor of Tarsus, the king
1926
02:05:54.479 --> 02:05:58.319
sailed for his own Dominions, where his people received him
1927
02:05:58.359 --> 02:06:03.119
with hearty welcome. Now Dionysa, the wife of the governor
1928
02:06:03.159 --> 02:06:07.199
of Tarsus, was a jealous and wicked woman, and finding
1929
02:06:07.279 --> 02:06:10.960
that the young princess grew up a more accomplished and
1930
02:06:11.439 --> 02:06:15.600
charming girl than her own daughter, she determined to take
1931
02:06:15.800 --> 02:06:22.000
Marina's life. So, when Marina's was fourteen, Dionysa ordered one
1932
02:06:22.000 --> 02:06:25.399
of her servants to take her away and kill her.
1933
02:06:26.319 --> 02:06:29.039
This villain would have done so, but that he was
1934
02:06:29.119 --> 02:06:32.600
interrupted by some pirates who came in and carried Marina
1935
02:06:32.680 --> 02:06:36.000
off to sea with them and took her to Mitteline,
1936
02:06:36.560 --> 02:06:40.279
where they sold her as a slave. Yet such were
1937
02:06:40.359 --> 02:06:44.359
her goodness her grace and her beauty, that she soon
1938
02:06:44.439 --> 02:06:49.840
became honored there. And Lysimachus, the young governor fell deep
1939
02:06:49.880 --> 02:06:52.560
in love with her and would have married her, but
1940
02:06:53.279 --> 02:06:56.359
that he thought she might be of too humble parentage
1941
02:06:56.800 --> 02:07:00.319
to become the wife of one in his hide position.
1942
02:07:01.600 --> 02:07:06.640
The wicked Dianiza believed from her servant's report that Marina
1943
02:07:06.800 --> 02:07:10.119
was really dead, and so she put up a monument
1944
02:07:10.199 --> 02:07:14.319
to her memory and showed it to King Pericles, when,
1945
02:07:14.479 --> 02:07:18.319
after long years of absence, he came to see his
1946
02:07:18.560 --> 02:07:23.239
much loved child. When he heard that she, his only
1947
02:07:23.359 --> 02:07:29.039
joy in life, was dead, his grief was terrible to see.
1948
02:07:29.199 --> 02:07:33.439
He set sail once more, and, putting on sackcloth, vowed
1949
02:07:33.640 --> 02:07:36.880
never to wash his face or cut his hair again.
1950
02:07:37.800 --> 02:07:41.119
There was a pavilion erected on deck, and there he
1951
02:07:41.279 --> 02:07:45.560
lay alone, curtained from the sight of all, and for
1952
02:07:45.640 --> 02:07:49.399
three months he spoke word to none. At last it
1953
02:07:49.560 --> 02:07:52.359
chanced that his ship came into the port of Mitteling,
1954
02:07:52.960 --> 02:07:57.199
and Lysimachus the governor went on board to inquire whence
1955
02:07:57.399 --> 02:08:01.800
the vessel came. When he heard the story of pericles
1956
02:08:01.800 --> 02:08:07.279
sorrow and silence, he bethought him of Marina, and, believing
1957
02:08:07.319 --> 02:08:10.880
that she could rouse the king from his stupor, sent
1958
02:08:10.960 --> 02:08:14.960
for her and bade her try her utmost to persuade
1959
02:08:14.960 --> 02:08:20.239
the king to speak, promising whatever reward she would if
1960
02:08:20.399 --> 02:08:26.479
she succeeded. Marina gladly obeyed, and sending the rest away,
1961
02:08:27.119 --> 02:08:31.520
she sat and sang to her poor grief laden father.
1962
02:08:32.439 --> 02:08:35.680
Yet sweet as was her voice, he made no sign.
1963
02:08:36.680 --> 02:08:41.199
So presently she spoke to him, saying that her grief
1964
02:08:41.279 --> 02:08:45.760
might equal his if both were justly weighed, and that
1965
02:08:45.920 --> 02:08:49.720
though she was a slave, she came from ancestors that
1966
02:08:49.800 --> 02:08:55.119
stood equivalent with mighty kings. Something in her voice and
1967
02:08:55.319 --> 02:08:59.520
story touched the king's heart, and he looked up at her,
1968
02:08:59.840 --> 02:09:03.760
And as he looked, he saw with wonder how like
1969
02:09:03.880 --> 02:09:08.159
she was to his lost wife. So, with a great
1970
02:09:08.239 --> 02:09:11.840
hope springing up in his heart, he bade her tell
1971
02:09:11.880 --> 02:09:17.359
her story. Then, with many interruptions from the king, she
1972
02:09:17.520 --> 02:09:20.800
told him who she was and how she had escaped
1973
02:09:21.119 --> 02:09:26.439
from the cruel Dionisa. So Pericles knew that this was
1974
02:09:26.479 --> 02:09:30.600
indeed his daughter, and he kissed her again and again,
1975
02:09:30.920 --> 02:09:35.560
crying that his great seas of joy drowned him with
1976
02:09:35.640 --> 02:09:41.000
their sweetness. Give me my robes, he said, Oh, heavens
1977
02:09:41.520 --> 02:09:46.159
bless my girl. Then there came to him, though none
1978
02:09:46.239 --> 02:09:50.760
else could hear it, the sound of heavenly music. And
1979
02:09:50.840 --> 02:09:56.680
falling asleep, he beheld the goddess Diana in a vision. Go,
1980
02:09:57.279 --> 02:10:00.520
she said to him, to my temple at Ephesus, and
1981
02:10:00.600 --> 02:10:05.159
when my maiden priests are met together, reveal how thou
1982
02:10:05.199 --> 02:10:10.800
at sea didst lose thy wife. Pericles obeyed the goddess
1983
02:10:10.840 --> 02:10:14.439
and told his tale before her altar. Hardly had he
1984
02:10:14.600 --> 02:10:19.479
made an end, when the chief priestess, crying out, you
1985
02:10:19.600 --> 02:10:25.920
are you are? O? Royal? Pericles fell, fainting to the ground,
1986
02:10:26.319 --> 02:10:31.119
and presently recovering, she spoke again to him, O, my lord,
1987
02:10:31.640 --> 02:10:37.399
are you not Pericles the voice of my dead? THISA
1988
02:10:37.640 --> 02:10:43.119
exclaimed the king in wonder, that thyisa am I, she said,
1989
02:10:43.760 --> 02:10:46.520
And looking at her, he saw that she spoke the
1990
02:10:46.680 --> 02:10:51.319
very truth, and he called to her, Oh, come be
1991
02:10:51.479 --> 02:10:58.439
buried a second time in these arms. Thus Pericles and Thisa,
1992
02:10:58.520 --> 02:11:03.560
after long and bitter suffering, found happiness once more, and
1993
02:11:03.680 --> 02:11:07.159
in the joy of their meeting, they forgot the pain
1994
02:11:07.600 --> 02:11:11.800
of the past. To Marina, great happiness was given, not
1995
02:11:11.960 --> 02:11:15.960
only in being restored to her dear parents, for she
1996
02:11:16.199 --> 02:11:20.479
married Lysimachus and became a princess in the land where
1997
02:11:20.520 --> 02:11:26.760
she had been sold as a slave. End of Chapter
1998
02:11:26.800 --> 02:11:32.119
ten read by Dennis Sayers and Modesto, California. For LibriVox.
1999
02:11:38.520 --> 02:11:43.479
Chapter eleven of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
2000
02:11:44.000 --> 02:11:47.680
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
2001
02:11:47.680 --> 02:11:53.680
information or to volunteer, please visit libriyvox dot org. Recording
2002
02:11:53.720 --> 02:11:59.520
by Miss Avarice. The children Shakespeare by edith Nesbitt. The
2003
02:11:59.560 --> 02:12:05.720
Merchant Venice Antonio was a rich and prosperous merchant of Venice.
2004
02:12:06.359 --> 02:12:09.319
His ships were on nearly every sea, and he traded
2005
02:12:09.359 --> 02:12:14.479
with Portugal, with Mexico, with England, and with India. Although
2006
02:12:14.520 --> 02:12:17.079
proud of his riches, he was very generous with them
2007
02:12:17.640 --> 02:12:19.800
and delighted to use them in relieving the wants of
2008
02:12:19.800 --> 02:12:24.520
his friends, among whom his relation Bissonio, held the first place.
2009
02:12:25.800 --> 02:12:29.760
Now Bussanio, like many another gay and gallant gentleman, was
2010
02:12:29.800 --> 02:12:32.680
reckless and extravagant, and, finding that he had not only
2011
02:12:32.680 --> 02:12:35.039
come to the end of his fortune, but was also
2012
02:12:35.119 --> 02:12:38.119
unable to pay his creditors, he went to Antonio for
2013
02:12:38.159 --> 02:12:43.239
further help. To you, Antonio he said, I owe the
2014
02:12:43.279 --> 02:12:46.079
most in money and in love, and I have thought
2015
02:12:46.119 --> 02:12:48.319
of a plan to pay everything I owe if you will,
2016
02:12:48.359 --> 02:12:51.439
but help me. Say what I can do, and it
2017
02:12:51.479 --> 02:12:56.359
shall be done. Answered his friend. Then said, Bisonio and
2018
02:12:56.479 --> 02:12:59.600
Belmont is a lady richly left, and from all quarters
2019
02:12:59.600 --> 02:13:01.600
of the globe were known suitors come to woo her,
2020
02:13:02.199 --> 02:13:04.880
not only because she is rich, but because she is
2021
02:13:04.920 --> 02:13:07.880
beautiful and good as well. She looked on me with
2022
02:13:07.920 --> 02:13:10.920
such favor when last we met that I feel sure
2023
02:13:10.920 --> 02:13:13.039
that I should win her away from all rivals for
2024
02:13:13.119 --> 02:13:15.800
her love. Had I but the means to go to Belmont,
2025
02:13:16.039 --> 02:13:21.239
where she lives. All my fortunes, said Antonio, are at sea,
2026
02:13:21.960 --> 02:13:24.560
and so I have no ready money. But luckily my
2027
02:13:24.640 --> 02:13:27.159
credit is good in Venice, and I will borrow for
2028
02:13:27.239 --> 02:13:31.119
you what you need. There was living in Venice at
2029
02:13:31.159 --> 02:13:35.520
this time a rich money lender named Shylock. Antonio despised
2030
02:13:35.560 --> 02:13:38.319
and disliked this man very much, and treated him with
2031
02:13:38.359 --> 02:13:42.000
the greatest harshness and scorn. He would thrust him like
2032
02:13:42.039 --> 02:13:45.239
a cur over his threshold, and would even spit on him.
2033
02:13:46.039 --> 02:13:49.199
Shylock submitted to all these indignities with a patient shrug,
2034
02:13:49.760 --> 02:13:52.399
but deep in as hearty cherished a desire for revenge
2035
02:13:52.439 --> 02:13:56.279
on the rich smug merchant. For Antonio both hurt his
2036
02:13:56.359 --> 02:13:59.960
pride and injured his business, But for him thought shy,
2037
02:14:00.880 --> 02:14:03.199
I should be richer by half a million du cats
2038
02:14:03.479 --> 02:14:06.359
on the market place and wherever he can. He denounces
2039
02:14:06.399 --> 02:14:09.079
the rate of interest I charge, and worse than that,
2040
02:14:09.720 --> 02:14:14.279
he lends out money freely. So when Bassanio came to
2041
02:14:14.359 --> 02:14:16.319
him to ask for a loan of three thousand du
2042
02:14:16.319 --> 02:14:19.760
cats to Antonio for three months, Charlock hid his hatred, and,
2043
02:14:20.000 --> 02:14:23.319
turning to Antonio, said harshly, as you have treated me,
2044
02:14:23.680 --> 02:14:25.560
I would be friends with you and have your love.
2045
02:14:26.079 --> 02:14:27.720
So I will lend you the money and charge you
2046
02:14:27.800 --> 02:14:31.399
no interest. But just for fun, you shall sign a
2047
02:14:31.399 --> 02:14:33.199
bond in which it shall be agreed that if you
2048
02:14:33.279 --> 02:14:35.560
do not repay me in three months time, then I
2049
02:14:35.600 --> 02:14:37.479
shall have the right to a pound of your flesh,
2050
02:14:37.760 --> 02:14:41.199
to be cut from what part of your body I choose. No,
2051
02:14:42.039 --> 02:14:45.119
cried Bassanio to his friend. You shall run no such
2052
02:14:45.239 --> 02:14:49.960
risk for me. Why fear not, said Antonio. My ships
2053
02:14:49.960 --> 02:14:52.520
will be home a month before the time I will
2054
02:14:52.560 --> 02:14:56.640
sign the bond. Thus Bassanio was furnished with the means
2055
02:14:56.680 --> 02:14:59.600
to go to Belmont, there to woo the lovely portche
2056
02:15:00.319 --> 02:15:03.520
The very night he started, the money lender's pretty daughter, Jessica,
2057
02:15:04.000 --> 02:15:06.159
ran away from her father's house with her lover, and
2058
02:15:06.239 --> 02:15:08.479
she took with her from her father's hoards some bags
2059
02:15:08.479 --> 02:15:12.279
of ducats and precious stones. Shylock's grief and anger were
2060
02:15:12.359 --> 02:15:15.399
terrible to see his love for her changed.
2061
02:15:15.479 --> 02:15:16.239
Hate.
2062
02:15:16.720 --> 02:15:18.319
I wish she were dead at my feet and the
2063
02:15:18.399 --> 02:15:21.479
jewels in her ear, he cried. His only comfort now
2064
02:15:21.560 --> 02:15:24.640
was in hearing of the serious losses which had befallen Antonio,
2065
02:15:25.239 --> 02:15:28.119
some of whose ships were wrecked. Let him look to
2066
02:15:28.199 --> 02:15:34.359
his bond, said Shylock. Let him look to his bond. Meanwhile,
2067
02:15:34.600 --> 02:15:38.039
Bessanio had reached Belmont and had visited the fair Portia.
2068
02:15:38.880 --> 02:15:41.640
He found as he had told Antonio that the rumor
2069
02:15:41.680 --> 02:15:43.960
of her wealth and beauty had drawn to her suitors
2070
02:15:44.000 --> 02:15:46.680
from far and near. But to all of them, Porsha
2071
02:15:46.760 --> 02:15:50.039
had but one reply. She would only accept the suitor
2072
02:15:50.039 --> 02:15:52.520
who would pledge himself to abide by the terms of
2073
02:15:52.560 --> 02:15:56.039
her father's will. These were conditions that frightened away many
2074
02:15:56.079 --> 02:15:59.319
an ardent wooer, for he who would win Porscha's heart
2075
02:15:59.319 --> 02:16:02.159
in hand, had to guess which of three caskets held
2076
02:16:02.159 --> 02:16:05.600
her portrait. If he guessed aright, then Porsia would be
2077
02:16:05.600 --> 02:16:08.680
his bride. If wrong, then he was bound by the
2078
02:16:08.720 --> 02:16:12.159
oath never to reveal which casket he chose, never to marry,
2079
02:16:12.600 --> 02:16:17.600
and to go away at once. The caskets were of gold, silver,
2080
02:16:17.840 --> 02:16:22.119
and lead. The gold one bore this inscription, who chooseth
2081
02:16:22.159 --> 02:16:25.840
me shall gain what many men desire. The silver one
2082
02:16:25.920 --> 02:16:28.840
had this, who chooseth me shall get as much as
2083
02:16:28.880 --> 02:16:32.200
he deserves. While on the lead one, with these words,
2084
02:16:32.520 --> 02:16:35.559
who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.
2085
02:16:36.559 --> 02:16:39.200
The Prince of Morocco, as brave as he was black,
2086
02:16:39.879 --> 02:16:42.559
was among the first to submit to this test. He
2087
02:16:42.680 --> 02:16:45.559
chose the gold casket, for he said, neither base, lead
2088
02:16:45.600 --> 02:16:49.239
nor silver could contain her picture. So be chose the
2089
02:16:49.280 --> 02:16:52.239
gold casket, and found inside the likeness of what many
2090
02:16:52.239 --> 02:16:57.559
men desire. Death. After him came the haughty Prince of Arragon,
2091
02:16:58.239 --> 02:17:01.440
and saying, let me have what I deserve. Surely I
2092
02:17:01.479 --> 02:17:04.360
deserved the lady. He chose the silver one, and found
2093
02:17:04.360 --> 02:17:07.200
inside a fool's head. Did I deserve no more than
2094
02:17:07.200 --> 02:17:11.399
a fool's head, he cried. Then at last came Bassanio,
2095
02:17:11.920 --> 02:17:14.559
and Porsha would have delayed him from making his choice
2096
02:17:14.840 --> 02:17:18.079
from very fear of his choosing wrong, for she loved
2097
02:17:18.159 --> 02:17:22.479
him dearly, even as he loved her. But said Pissanio,
2098
02:17:23.079 --> 02:17:26.040
let me choose at once, for as I am, I
2099
02:17:26.120 --> 02:17:29.959
live upon the rack. Then Porsha bade her servants to
2100
02:17:30.000 --> 02:17:33.079
bring music and play while her gallant lover made his choice,
2101
02:17:33.639 --> 02:17:36.440
And Bassanio took the oath and walked up to the caskets,
2102
02:17:36.799 --> 02:17:38.399
the musicians playing softly.
2103
02:17:38.440 --> 02:17:40.280
The while mere.
2104
02:17:40.440 --> 02:17:44.959
Outward show, he said, is to be despised. The world
2105
02:17:45.040 --> 02:17:48.399
is still deceived with ornament, and so no gaudy gold
2106
02:17:48.479 --> 02:17:51.879
or shining silver for me. I choose the lead casket.
2107
02:17:52.159 --> 02:17:56.200
Joy be the consequence, And opening it he found fair
2108
02:17:56.239 --> 02:17:59.280
Porsha's portrait inside, and he turned to her and asked
2109
02:17:59.280 --> 02:18:03.399
if it were true that she was his. Yes, said Portia,
2110
02:18:04.159 --> 02:18:07.040
I am yours, and this house is yours. And with
2111
02:18:07.159 --> 02:18:09.559
them I give you this ring from which you must
2112
02:18:09.639 --> 02:18:13.879
never part. And Bassanio, saying that he could hardly speak
2113
02:18:13.920 --> 02:18:16.600
for joy, found words to swear that he would never
2114
02:18:16.680 --> 02:18:20.319
part with the ring while he lived. Then Suddenly, all
2115
02:18:20.360 --> 02:18:23.760
this happiness was dashed with sorrow, for messengers came from
2116
02:18:23.799 --> 02:18:26.559
Venice to tell him that Antonio was ruined, and that
2117
02:18:26.639 --> 02:18:29.360
Shylock demanded from the Duke the fulfillment of the bond
2118
02:18:30.079 --> 02:18:31.920
under which he was entitled to a pound of the
2119
02:18:31.920 --> 02:18:35.760
merchant's flesh. Porsia was as grieved as Bassanio to hear
2120
02:18:35.799 --> 02:18:39.440
of the danger which threatened his friend. First, she said,
2121
02:18:39.840 --> 02:18:42.120
take me to church and make me your wife, and
2122
02:18:42.120 --> 02:18:44.200
then go to Venice at once to help your friend.
2123
02:18:44.719 --> 02:18:46.680
Ye shall take with you money enough to pay his
2124
02:18:46.799 --> 02:18:50.639
debt twenty times over. But when her newly made husband
2125
02:18:50.639 --> 02:18:54.479
had gone, Porsia went after him and arrived in Venice
2126
02:18:54.559 --> 02:18:57.639
disguised as a lawyer, and with an introduction from a
2127
02:18:57.680 --> 02:19:01.120
celebrated lawyer, Bellario, whom the Duke of Venice had called
2128
02:19:01.159 --> 02:19:04.040
in to decide the legal questions raised by Sharlock's claim
2129
02:19:04.120 --> 02:19:07.680
to a pound of Antonio's flesh. When the court met,
2130
02:19:08.000 --> 02:19:11.159
Bassanio offered Sharlock twice the money borrowed if he would
2131
02:19:11.200 --> 02:19:14.920
withdraw his claim, But the money lender's only answer was
2132
02:19:15.920 --> 02:19:18.760
if every du cat and six thousand du cats were
2133
02:19:18.760 --> 02:19:21.719
in six parts, and every part a du cat. I
2134
02:19:21.760 --> 02:19:25.680
would not draw them, I would have my bond. It
2135
02:19:25.760 --> 02:19:28.680
was then that Porsche arrived in her disguise, and not
2136
02:19:28.840 --> 02:19:31.360
even her own husband knew her. The Duke gave her
2137
02:19:31.360 --> 02:19:34.639
welcome on account of the Great Bellario's introduction, and left
2138
02:19:34.639 --> 02:19:37.879
the settlement of the case to her. Then, in noble words,
2139
02:19:37.879 --> 02:19:40.639
she bade Shylock have mercy, but he was deaf to
2140
02:19:40.639 --> 02:19:44.639
her entreaties. I will have the pound of flesh, was
2141
02:19:44.680 --> 02:19:48.680
his reply. What have you to say, asked Porsche of
2142
02:19:48.719 --> 02:19:52.719
the merchant, But little he answered, I am armed and
2143
02:19:52.760 --> 02:19:57.040
well prepared. The court awards you a pound of Antonio's flesh,
2144
02:19:57.360 --> 02:20:01.120
said Porsche to the money lender. Most us judge, cried
2145
02:20:01.120 --> 02:20:06.799
Shylock a sentence. Come prepare, tarry a little. This bond
2146
02:20:06.879 --> 02:20:10.239
gives you no right to Antonio's blood, only to his flesh.
2147
02:20:10.639 --> 02:20:13.440
If then you spill a drop of his blood, all
2148
02:20:13.479 --> 02:20:16.600
your property will be forfeited to the state. Such is
2149
02:20:16.639 --> 02:20:21.120
the law. And Shyloc, in his fears, said, then I
2150
02:20:21.159 --> 02:20:25.559
will take Bisanio's offer. No, said Porsiu, sternly, you shall
2151
02:20:25.559 --> 02:20:28.200
have nothing but your bond. Take your pound of flesh,
2152
02:20:28.239 --> 02:20:31.040
but remember that you take more or less even by
2153
02:20:31.079 --> 02:20:33.719
the weight of a hair, you will lose your property
2154
02:20:33.760 --> 02:20:38.000
and your life. Shylock now grew very frightened, Give me
2155
02:20:38.040 --> 02:20:40.200
my three thousand du cats that I lent him and
2156
02:20:40.280 --> 02:20:43.280
let him go. Bassania would have paid it to him,
2157
02:20:43.479 --> 02:20:48.639
but said Portia, no, he shall have nothing but his bond. You,
2158
02:20:49.000 --> 02:20:52.239
a foreigner, she added, have sought to take the life
2159
02:20:52.239 --> 02:20:55.520
of a nation citizen, and thus by Venetian law, your
2160
02:20:55.559 --> 02:20:59.360
life and goods are forfeited. Down therefore and beg mercy
2161
02:20:59.399 --> 02:21:02.920
of the duke. Thus were the tables turned, and no
2162
02:21:03.040 --> 02:21:05.520
mercy would have been shown to Shylock had it not
2163
02:21:05.600 --> 02:21:09.120
been for Antonio. As it was the money lender forfeited
2164
02:21:09.159 --> 02:21:11.239
half his fortune to the state, and he had to
2165
02:21:11.239 --> 02:21:14.319
settle the other half on his daughter's husband, and with
2166
02:21:14.440 --> 02:21:18.399
this he had to be content. Bassanio, in his gratitude
2167
02:21:18.399 --> 02:21:20.559
to the clever lawyer, was induced to part with the
2168
02:21:20.639 --> 02:21:23.079
ring his wife had given him and with which he
2169
02:21:23.079 --> 02:21:25.879
had promised never to part, And when on his return
2170
02:21:25.920 --> 02:21:28.920
to Belmont he confessed as much to Portia, she seemed
2171
02:21:29.040 --> 02:21:31.319
very angry and vowed she would not be friends with
2172
02:21:31.399 --> 02:21:34.280
him until she had her ring again. But at last
2173
02:21:34.280 --> 02:21:36.319
she told him that it was she who, in the
2174
02:21:36.360 --> 02:21:40.040
disguiseable lawyer, had saved his friend's life and got the
2175
02:21:40.120 --> 02:21:43.879
ring from him. So Bassanio was forgiven and made happier
2176
02:21:43.920 --> 02:21:46.040
than ever to know how rich a prize he had
2177
02:21:46.120 --> 02:21:50.280
drawn in the lottery of the Caskets. In of the
2178
02:21:50.319 --> 02:21:59.319
Merchant of Venice recording by Miss Avarice.
2179
02:22:00.040 --> 02:22:04.319
Twelve of the Children's Shakespeare. This is a LibriVox recording.
2180
02:22:04.719 --> 02:22:08.159
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
2181
02:22:08.159 --> 02:22:13.200
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The
2182
02:22:13.319 --> 02:22:20.399
Children's Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit, Chapter twelve, the Winter's Tale.
2183
02:22:20.799 --> 02:22:24.520
Leontes was the king of Sicily and his dearest friend
2184
02:22:24.559 --> 02:22:28.399
was Polyxenes, king of Bohemia. They had been brought up
2185
02:22:28.440 --> 02:22:32.200
together and only separated when they reached man's estate, and
2186
02:22:32.280 --> 02:22:35.959
each had to go and rule over his kingdom. After
2187
02:22:36.040 --> 02:22:38.639
many years, when each was married and had a son,
2188
02:22:39.120 --> 02:22:44.600
Polyxenes came to stay with Leontes in Sicily. Leontes was
2189
02:22:44.639 --> 02:22:48.239
a violent tempered man and rather silly, and he took
2190
02:22:48.239 --> 02:22:52.479
it into his stupid head that his wife, Hermoen, liked
2191
02:22:52.520 --> 02:22:57.159
Polloxenes better than she did him her own husband. When
2192
02:22:57.159 --> 02:23:00.159
once he had got this into his head, nothing could
2193
02:23:00.159 --> 02:23:03.520
put it out, and he ordered one of his lords, Camillo,
2194
02:23:03.879 --> 02:23:08.159
to put a poison in Polloxanes's wine. Camillo tried to
2195
02:23:08.239 --> 02:23:12.000
dissuade him from this wicked action, but, finding he was
2196
02:23:12.079 --> 02:23:16.040
not to be moved, pretended to consent. He then told
2197
02:23:16.040 --> 02:23:19.799
Polloxenes what was proposed against him, and they fled from
2198
02:23:19.840 --> 02:23:23.440
the court of Sicily that night and returned to Bohemia,
2199
02:23:23.879 --> 02:23:29.440
where Camillo lived on as Polyxenes's friend and counselor. Leantes
2200
02:23:29.520 --> 02:23:33.000
threw the queen into prison, and her son, the heir
2201
02:23:33.040 --> 02:23:36.079
to the throne, died of sorrow to see his mother
2202
02:23:36.200 --> 02:23:41.000
so unjustly and cruelly treated. While the queen was in prison,
2203
02:23:41.120 --> 02:23:43.760
she had a little baby, and a friend of hers
2204
02:23:43.840 --> 02:23:47.360
named Paulina, had the baby dressed in its best and
2205
02:23:47.440 --> 02:23:50.120
took it to show the king, thinking that the sight
2206
02:23:50.200 --> 02:23:53.600
of his helpless little daughter would soften his heart towards
2207
02:23:53.600 --> 02:23:56.920
his dear queen, who had never done him any wrong
2208
02:23:57.440 --> 02:23:59.959
and who loved him a great deal more than he desire.
2209
02:24:01.159 --> 02:24:03.319
But the king would not look at the baby and
2210
02:24:03.479 --> 02:24:06.440
ordered Paulina's husband to take it away in a ship
2211
02:24:06.799 --> 02:24:09.360
and leave it in the most deserted and dreadful place
2212
02:24:09.399 --> 02:24:13.639
he could find, which Paulina's husband, very much against his will,
2213
02:24:14.040 --> 02:24:18.000
was obliged to do. Then the poor queen was brought
2214
02:24:18.079 --> 02:24:21.360
up to be tried for treason in preferring Polexinase to
2215
02:24:21.399 --> 02:24:24.559
her king, But really she had never thought of any
2216
02:24:24.559 --> 02:24:29.559
one except Leantes. Her husband. Leontes had sent some messengers
2217
02:24:29.600 --> 02:24:32.959
to ask the god Apollo whether he was not right
2218
02:24:33.040 --> 02:24:36.120
in his cruel thoughts of the queen, but he had
2219
02:24:36.159 --> 02:24:39.239
not patience to wait till they came back, and so
2220
02:24:39.360 --> 02:24:42.120
it happened that they arrived in the middle of the trial.
2221
02:24:42.639 --> 02:24:48.879
The oracle said Hermowen is innocent, Polyxinase blameless, Camillo a
2222
02:24:48.959 --> 02:24:53.559
true subject, Leontes a jealous tyrant, and the king shall
2223
02:24:53.600 --> 02:24:56.559
live without an heir if that which is lost be
2224
02:24:56.719 --> 02:25:00.520
not found. Then a man came and told them that
2225
02:25:00.600 --> 02:25:04.280
the little prince was dead. The poor queen, hearing this,
2226
02:25:04.879 --> 02:25:07.799
fell down in a fit. And then the king saw
2227
02:25:07.879 --> 02:25:11.440
how wicked and wrong he had been. He ordered Paulina
2228
02:25:11.520 --> 02:25:14.079
and the ladies who were with the queen to take
2229
02:25:14.120 --> 02:25:18.719
her away and try to restore her. But Paulina came
2230
02:25:18.760 --> 02:25:20.879
back in a few moments and told the king that
2231
02:25:20.959 --> 02:25:25.799
hermowen was dead. Now Leantes's eyes were at last opened
2232
02:25:25.799 --> 02:25:29.520
to his folly. His queen was dead, and the little daughter,
2233
02:25:29.559 --> 02:25:31.879
who might have been a comfort to him he had
2234
02:25:31.920 --> 02:25:35.000
sent away to be the prey of wolves and kites
2235
02:25:35.760 --> 02:25:39.280
life had nothing left for him. Now he gave himself
2236
02:25:39.360 --> 02:25:42.520
up to his grief and passed many sad years in
2237
02:25:42.680 --> 02:25:47.399
prayer and remorse. The baby princess was left on the
2238
02:25:47.440 --> 02:25:51.760
sea coast of Bohemia, the very kingdom where Polyxenes reigned.
2239
02:25:52.479 --> 02:25:55.920
Paullina's husband never went home to tell Leantes where he
2240
02:25:56.000 --> 02:25:59.040
had left the baby, for as he was going back
2241
02:25:59.079 --> 02:26:01.680
to the ship, he met a bear and was torn
2242
02:26:01.760 --> 02:26:05.639
to pieces. So there was an end of him. But
2243
02:26:05.719 --> 02:26:08.959
the poor, deserted little baby was found by a shepherd.
2244
02:26:09.479 --> 02:26:12.760
She was richly dressed and had with her some jewels,
2245
02:26:12.959 --> 02:26:15.920
and a paper was pinned to her cloak saying that
2246
02:26:16.000 --> 02:26:20.000
she came of noble parents. The shepherd, being a kind
2247
02:26:20.040 --> 02:26:23.399
hearted man, took home the little baby to his wife,
2248
02:26:23.799 --> 02:26:26.799
and they brought it up as their own child. She
2249
02:26:26.879 --> 02:26:30.120
had no more teaching than a shepherd's child generally has,
2250
02:26:30.559 --> 02:26:34.319
but she inherited from her royal mother many graces and charms,
2251
02:26:34.719 --> 02:26:37.239
so that she was quite different from the other maidens
2252
02:26:37.280 --> 02:26:41.600
in the village where she lived. One day, Prince Florizeale,
2253
02:26:41.760 --> 02:26:44.680
the son of the Good King of Bohemia, was hunting
2254
02:26:44.760 --> 02:26:48.479
near the shepherd's house and Salperdida, now grown up to
2255
02:26:48.559 --> 02:26:52.319
a charming woman. He made friends with the shepherd, not
2256
02:26:52.399 --> 02:26:55.280
telling him that he was the prince, but saying that
2257
02:26:55.360 --> 02:26:58.760
his name was Dorocle's and that he was a private gentleman,
2258
02:26:59.399 --> 02:27:02.239
and then, being deeply in love with the pretty Perdida,
2259
02:27:02.639 --> 02:27:07.040
he came almost daily to see her. The king could
2260
02:27:07.079 --> 02:27:09.799
not understand what it was that took his son very
2261
02:27:09.840 --> 02:27:13.239
nearly every day from home, so he set people to
2262
02:27:13.319 --> 02:27:15.680
watch him, and then found out that the heir of
2263
02:27:15.719 --> 02:27:18.920
the King of Bohemia was in love with Perdita, the
2264
02:27:18.959 --> 02:27:24.000
pretty shepherd girl. Paulexinaes, wishing to see whether this was true,
2265
02:27:24.399 --> 02:27:28.319
disguised himself and went with the faithful Camillo in disguise too,
2266
02:27:28.719 --> 02:27:32.000
to the old shepherd's house. They arrived at the feast
2267
02:27:32.040 --> 02:27:35.920
of sheep shearing, and though strangers, they were made welcome.
2268
02:27:36.680 --> 02:27:39.399
There was dancing going on, and a peddler was selling
2269
02:27:39.520 --> 02:27:42.799
ribbons and laces and gloves, which the young men bought
2270
02:27:42.799 --> 02:27:47.799
for their sweethearts. Florizelle and Perdida, however, were taking no
2271
02:27:47.959 --> 02:27:52.120
part in this gay scene, but sat quietly talking. The
2272
02:27:52.200 --> 02:27:55.520
king noticed the charming manners and great beauty of Perdida,
2273
02:27:56.000 --> 02:27:58.479
never guessing that she was the daughter of his old
2274
02:27:58.520 --> 02:28:03.520
friend Leantes, he said to Camillo, this is the prettiest
2275
02:28:03.600 --> 02:28:06.520
low born lass that ever ran on the green sward.
2276
02:28:07.159 --> 02:28:10.319
Nothing she does or seems but smacks of something greater
2277
02:28:10.399 --> 02:28:15.639
than herself, too noble for this place. And Camillo answered,
2278
02:28:16.200 --> 02:28:19.520
in truth, she is the queen of curds and cream.
2279
02:28:20.079 --> 02:28:23.680
But when Florizel, who did not recognize his father, called
2280
02:28:23.760 --> 02:28:27.280
upon the strangers to witness his betrothal with the pretty shepherdess,
2281
02:28:27.760 --> 02:28:31.520
the king made himself known and forbade the marriage, adding
2282
02:28:31.719 --> 02:28:35.040
that if she ever saw Florizel again, he would kill
2283
02:28:35.079 --> 02:28:38.200
her and her old father, the shepherd, and with that
2284
02:28:38.600 --> 02:28:42.760
he left them. But Camillo remained behind, for he was
2285
02:28:42.840 --> 02:28:47.639
charmed with Perdita and wished to befriend her. Camillo had
2286
02:28:47.680 --> 02:28:51.280
long known how sorry Leantes was for that foolish madness
2287
02:28:51.280 --> 02:28:53.920
of his, and he longed to go back to Sicily
2288
02:28:54.040 --> 02:28:57.440
to see his old master. He now proposed that the
2289
02:28:57.479 --> 02:29:01.360
young people should go there and claim the protection of Leantes.
2290
02:29:02.079 --> 02:29:05.079
So they went, and the shepherd went with them, taking
2291
02:29:05.120 --> 02:29:08.440
Perdida's jewels, her baby clothes, and the paper he had
2292
02:29:08.479 --> 02:29:14.159
found pinned to her cloak. Leantes received them with great kindness.
2293
02:29:14.520 --> 02:29:17.520
He was very polite to Prince Florizelle, but all his
2294
02:29:17.719 --> 02:29:21.200
looks were for Perdida. He saw how much she was
2295
02:29:21.360 --> 02:29:25.239
like the queen Hermoen, and said, again and again, such
2296
02:29:25.239 --> 02:29:28.159
a sweet creature my daughter might have been if I
2297
02:29:28.239 --> 02:29:32.360
had not cruelly sent her from me. When the old
2298
02:29:32.399 --> 02:29:34.920
shepherd heard that the king had lost a baby daughter
2299
02:29:35.079 --> 02:29:38.040
who had been left upon the coast of Bohemia, he
2300
02:29:38.120 --> 02:29:41.719
felt sure that Perdida, the child he had reared, must
2301
02:29:41.719 --> 02:29:44.799
be the king's daughter. And when he told his tale
2302
02:29:44.840 --> 02:29:47.799
and showed the jewels in the paper, the king perceived
2303
02:29:47.879 --> 02:29:52.120
that Perdida was indeed his long lost child. He welcomed
2304
02:29:52.159 --> 02:29:57.479
her with joy and rewarded the good shepherd. Polyxenes had
2305
02:29:57.520 --> 02:30:00.799
hastened after his son to prevent his marriage with Perdida,
2306
02:30:01.319 --> 02:30:03.239
but when he found out that she was the daughter
2307
02:30:03.319 --> 02:30:06.200
of his old friend, he was only too glad to
2308
02:30:06.239 --> 02:30:10.920
give his consent. Yet Leantes could not be happy. He
2309
02:30:11.040 --> 02:30:13.879
remembered how his fair queen, who should have been at
2310
02:30:13.920 --> 02:30:17.120
his side to share his joy in his daughter's happiness,
2311
02:30:17.639 --> 02:30:21.280
was dead through his unkindness, and he could say nothing
2312
02:30:21.360 --> 02:30:25.159
for a long time but O, thy mother, thy mother,
2313
02:30:25.959 --> 02:30:29.040
and ask forgiveness of the King of Bohemia, and then
2314
02:30:29.120 --> 02:30:32.719
kiss his daughter again, and then the prince Florizelle, and
2315
02:30:32.760 --> 02:30:36.360
then thanked the good old shepherd for all his goodness.
2316
02:30:37.280 --> 02:30:40.079
Then Paulina, who had been high all these years in
2317
02:30:40.159 --> 02:30:43.360
the King's favor because of her kindness to the dead queen,
2318
02:30:43.399 --> 02:30:47.360
hermoen said, I have a statue made in the likeness
2319
02:30:47.360 --> 02:30:50.559
of the dead queen, a piece many years in doing
2320
02:30:50.879 --> 02:30:55.639
and performed by the rare Italian master Giulio Romano. I
2321
02:30:55.760 --> 02:30:58.719
keep it in a private house apart, and there ever
2322
02:30:58.799 --> 02:31:01.879
since you lost your queen, I have gone twice or
2323
02:31:01.959 --> 02:31:05.040
thrice a day. Will it please your majesty to go
2324
02:31:05.079 --> 02:31:10.079
and see the statue. So Leantes and Polyxenes, and Florizel
2325
02:31:10.200 --> 02:31:14.840
and Perdita, with Camillo and their attendants, went to Paulina's house,
2326
02:31:15.360 --> 02:31:18.879
and there was a heavy purple curtain screening off an alcove,
2327
02:31:19.520 --> 02:31:23.120
and Paulina, with her hand on the curtain, said, she
2328
02:31:23.280 --> 02:31:26.399
was peerless when she was alive, and I do believe
2329
02:31:26.440 --> 02:31:30.000
that her dead likeness excels whatever yet you have looked upon,
2330
02:31:30.559 --> 02:31:33.840
or that the hand of man hath done. Therefore I
2331
02:31:33.959 --> 02:31:37.959
keep it lonely apart. But here it is. Behold, and
2332
02:31:38.120 --> 02:31:42.239
say tis well. And with that she drew back the
2333
02:31:42.280 --> 02:31:47.000
curtain and showed them the statue. The king gazed and
2334
02:31:47.120 --> 02:31:50.239
gazed on the beautiful statue of his dead wife, but
2335
02:31:50.399 --> 02:31:55.639
said nothing. I like your silence, said Paulina. If the
2336
02:31:55.680 --> 02:31:58.920
more shows off your wonder, but speak is it not
2337
02:31:59.159 --> 02:32:03.799
like her? It is almost herself, said the king. And
2338
02:32:03.920 --> 02:32:07.639
yet Paulina, her moowen was not so much wrinkled, nothing
2339
02:32:07.799 --> 02:32:11.879
like so old as this seems. Oh not by much,
2340
02:32:12.280 --> 02:32:17.360
said polyxenes Ah, said Paulina. There is the cleverness of
2341
02:32:17.399 --> 02:32:20.079
the carver, who shows her to us as she would
2342
02:32:20.120 --> 02:32:24.719
have been had she lived till now. And still Leantes
2343
02:32:24.760 --> 02:32:27.559
looked at the statue and could not take his eyes away.
2344
02:32:28.879 --> 02:32:32.559
If I had known, said Paulina, that this poor image
2345
02:32:32.600 --> 02:32:35.360
would so have stirred your grief and love, I would
2346
02:32:35.440 --> 02:32:39.040
not have shown it to you. But he only answered,
2347
02:32:39.479 --> 02:32:42.959
do not draw the curtain. No, you must not look
2348
02:32:43.000 --> 02:32:47.440
any longer, said Paulina, or you will think it moves.
2349
02:32:47.920 --> 02:32:51.559
Let be, let be, said the king. Would you not
2350
02:32:51.639 --> 02:32:56.399
think it breathed? I will draw the curtain, said Paulina.
2351
02:32:56.799 --> 02:33:02.280
You will think it lives presently. Ah, sweet Paulina, said, leantes,
2352
02:33:02.799 --> 02:33:06.760
make me to think so twenty years together. If you
2353
02:33:06.840 --> 02:33:10.559
can bear it, said Paulina, I can make the statue move,
2354
02:33:10.719 --> 02:33:13.040
make it come down and take you by the hand.
2355
02:33:13.559 --> 02:33:17.559
Only you would think it was by wicked magic. Whatever
2356
02:33:17.639 --> 02:33:20.399
you can make her do, I am content to look on,
2357
02:33:21.120 --> 02:33:25.440
said the king. And then all folks there, admiring and beholding.
2358
02:33:25.799 --> 02:33:29.040
The statue moved from its pedestal, and came down the
2359
02:33:29.120 --> 02:33:32.440
steps and put its arms round the King's neck. And
2360
02:33:32.520 --> 02:33:35.639
he held her face and kissed her many times, for
2361
02:33:35.680 --> 02:33:40.159
this was no statue, but the real living queen, Hermaen, herself.
2362
02:33:40.920 --> 02:33:44.879
She had lived hidden by Paulina's kindness all these years,
2363
02:33:45.399 --> 02:33:48.639
and would not have discovered herself to her husband, though
2364
02:33:48.639 --> 02:33:51.760
she knew he had repented, because she could not quite
2365
02:33:51.799 --> 02:33:54.479
forgive him till she knew what had become of her
2366
02:33:54.479 --> 02:33:58.680
little baby. Now that Perdita was found, she forgave her
2367
02:33:58.760 --> 02:34:02.200
husband everything, and it was like a new and beautiful
2368
02:34:02.239 --> 02:34:07.120
marriage to them to be together once more. Florizelle and
2369
02:34:07.159 --> 02:34:11.600
Perdita were married and lived long and happily. To Layantes,
2370
02:34:11.959 --> 02:34:14.920
his long years of suffering were well paid for in
2371
02:34:15.000 --> 02:34:18.959
the moment when, after long grief and pain, he felt
2372
02:34:18.959 --> 02:34:21.920
the arms of his true love round him once again.
2373
02:34:24.600 --> 02:34:29.040
End of Chapter twelve and of the Children's Shakespeare by
2374
02:34:29.239 --> 02:34:30.079
Edith Nesbit