Shakespeare's Stories for Young Readers by E. Nesbit Read Free Book Online

had grown to see that she could not bully her husband, as she had done her father and her sister; “it’s nearly two, and it will be supper-time before we get there.”
    â€œIt shall be seven,” said Petruchio, obstinately, “before I start. Why, whatever I say or do, or think, you do nothing but contradict. I won’t go to-day, and before I do go, it shall be what o’clock I say it is.”
    At last they started for her father’s house. “Look at the moon,” said he.
    â€œIt’s the sun,” said Katharine, and indeed it was.
    â€œI say it is the moon. Contradicting again! It shall be sun or moon, or whatever I choose, or I won’t take you to your father’s.”
    Then Katharine gave in, once and for all. “What you will have it named,” she said, “it is, and so it shall be so for Katharine.” And so it was, for from that moment Katharine felt that she had met her master, and never again showed her naughty tempers to him, or anyone else.
    So they journeyed on to Baptista’s house, and arriving there, they found all folks keeping Bianca’s wedding feast, and that of another newly married couple, Hortensio and his wife. They were made welcome, and sat down to the feast, and all was merry, save that Hortensio’s wife, seeing Katharine subdued to her husband, thought she could safely say many disagreeable things, that in the old days, when Katharine was free and forward, she would not have dared to say. But Katharine answered with such spirit and such moderation, that she turned the laugh against the new bride.
    After dinner, when the ladies were retired, Baptista joined in a laugh against Petruchio, saying—“Now in good sadness, son Petruchio, I fear you have got the veriest shrew of all.”
    â€œYou are wrong,” said Petruchio; “let me prove it to you. Each of us shall send a message to his wife, desiring her to come to him, and the one whose wife comes most readily shall win a wager which we will agree on.”
    The others said yes readily enough, for each thought his own wife the most dutiful, and each thought he was quite sure to win the wager.
    They proposed a wager of twenty crowns.
    â€œTwenty crowns,” said Petruchio, “I’ll venture so much on my hawk or hound, but twenty times as much upon my wife.”
    â€œA hundred then,” cried Lucentio, Bianca’s husband.
    â€œContent,” cried the others.
    Then Lucentio sent a message to the fair Bianca bidding her to come to him. And Baptista said he was certain his daughter would come. But the servant coming back, said—
    â€œSir, my mistress is busy, and she cannot come.”’
    â€œThere’s an answer for you,” said Petruchio.
    â€œYou may think yourself fortunate if your wife does not send you a worse.”
    â€œI hope, better,” Petruchio answered. Then Hortensio said—
    â€œGo and entreat my wife to come to me at once.”
    â€œOh—if you entreat her,” said Petruchio.
    â€œI am afraid,” answered Hortensio, sharply, “do what you can, yours will not be entreated.”
    But now the servant came in, and said—
    â€œShe says you are playing some jest, she will not come.”
    â€œBetter and better,” cried Petruchio; “now go to your mistress and say I command her to come to me.”
    They all began to laugh, saying they knew what her answer would be, and that she would not come.
    Then suddenly Baptista cried—
    â€œHere comes Katharine!” And sure enough—there she was.
    â€œWhat do you wish, sir?” she asked her husband.
    â€œWhere are your sister and Hortensio’s wife?”
    â€œTalking by the parlor fire.”
    â€œFetch them here.”
    When she was gone to fetch them, Lucentio said—
    â€œHere is a wonder!”
    â€œI wonder what it means,” said Hortensio.
    â€œIt means peace,” said Petruchio,