The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Read Free Book Online

almost frozen to death.
    CURTIS     There’s fire ready, and therefore, good Grumio, the
    news.
    GRUMIO     Why, ‘ Jack, boy! Ho, boy!’ and as much news 33 as wilt
    thou.
    CURTIS     Come, you are so full of cony-catching 35 !
    GRUMIO     Why, therefore fire, for I have caught extreme cold.
    Where’s the cook? Is supper ready, the house trimmed 37 ,
    rushes strewed 38 , cobwebs swept, the servingmen in their new
     fustian 39 , the white stockings, and every officer his wedding-
    garment on? Be the jacks 40 fair within, the jills fair without,
    the carpets laid 41 , and everything in order?
    CURTIS     All ready, and therefore, I pray thee, news.
    GRUMIO     First know my horse is tired, my master and mistress
    fallen out.
    CURTIS     How?
    GRUMIO     Out of their saddles into the dirt, and thereby hangs
    a tale.
    CURTIS     Let’s ha’t 48 , good Grumio.
    GRUMIO     Lend thine ear.
    CURTIS     Here.
    GRUMIO     There.
    Strikes him
    CURTIS     This ’tis to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
    GRUMIO     And therefore ’tis called a sensible 53 tale, and this cuff
    was but to knock at your ear, and beseech listening. Now I
    begin: Imprimis
55 , we came down a foul hill, my master riding
    behind my mistress—
    CURTIS     Both of 57 one horse?
    GRUMIO     What’s that to thee?
    CURTIS     Why, a horse.
    GRUMIO     Tell thou the tale. But hadst thou not crossed 60 me,
    thou shouldst have heard how her horse fell and she under
    her horse: thou shouldst have heard in how miry 62 a place,
    how she was bemoiled 63 , how he left her with the horse upon
    her, how he beat me because her horse stumbled, how she
    waded through the dirt to pluck him off me, how he swore,
    how she prayed that never prayed before, how I cried, how
    the horses ran away, how her bridle was burst 67 , how I lost my
    crupper, with many things of worthy memory 68 , which now
    shall die in oblivion and thou return unexperienced 69 to thy
    grave.
    CURTIS     By this reckoning he is more shrew than she.
    GRUMIO     Ay, and that thou and the proudest 72 of you all shall
    find when he comes home. But what 73 talk I of this? Call forth
    Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop and
    the rest. Let their heads be slickly combed, their blue 75 coats
    brushed and their garters of an indifferent knit 76 . Let them
     curtsy 77 with their left legs and not presume to touch a hair of
    my master’s horsetail till they kiss their hands 78 . Are they all
    ready?
    CURTIS     They are.
    GRUMIO     Call them forth.
    CURTIS     Do you hear, ho? You must meet my master to
     countenance 83 my mistress.
    GRUMIO     Why, she hath a face of her own.
    CURTIS     Who knows not that?
    GRUMIO     Thou, it seems, that calls for company to
    countenance her.
    CURTIS     I call them forth to credit 88 her.
    Enter four or five Servingmen
    GRUMIO     Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.
    NATHANIEL     Welcome home, Grumio!
    PHILIP     How now, Grumio!
    JOSEPH     What, Grumio!
    NICHOLAS     Fellow Grumio!
    NATHANIEL     How now, old lad?
    GRUMIO       Welcome, you.— How now, you?—
    Greets each Servingman
        What, you?— Fellow, you.— And thus much for
        greeting. Now, my spruce 97 companions, is all ready, and all
    things neat 98 ?
    NATHANIEL     All things is ready. How near is our master?
    GRUMIO     E’en at hand, alighted by this 100 , and therefore be not—
     Cock’s passion 101 , silence! I hear my master.
    Enter Petruchio and Kate
    PETRUCHIO     Where be these knaves? What, no man at door
    To hold my stirrup nor to take my horse?
    Where is Nathaniel,