beautiful stories from shakespeare-第12章

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e　should　do。　　He　advised　her　to　pretend　to　consent；　and　then　he　said：

〃I　will　give　you　a　draught　that　will　make　you　seem　to　be　dead　for　two　days；　and　then　when　they　take　you　to　church　it　will　be　to　bury　you；　and　not　to　marry　you。　　They　will　put　you　in　the　vault　thinking　you　are　dead；　and　before　you　wake　up　Romeo　and　I　will　be　there　to　take　care　of　you。　　Will　you　do　this；　or　are　you　afraid？〃

〃I　will　do　it；　talk　not　to　me　of　fear！〃　said　Juliet。　　And　she　went　home　and　told　her　father　she　would　marry　Paris。　　If　she　had　spoken　out　and　told　her　father　the　truth　。　　。　　。　　well；　then　this　would　have　been　a　different　story。

Lord　Capulet　was　very　much　pleased　to　get　his　own　way；　and　set　about　inviting　his　friends　and　getting　the　wedding　feast　ready。　Everyone　stayed　up　all　night；　for　there　was　a　great　deal　to　do；　and　very　little　time　to　do　it　in。　　Lord　Capulet　was　anxious　to　get　Juliet　married　because　he　saw　she　was　very　unhappy。　　Of　course　she　was　really　fretting　about　her　husband　Romeo；　but　her　father　thought　she　was　grieving　for　the　death　of　her　cousin　Tybalt；　and　he　thought　marriage　would　give　her　something　else　to　think　about。

Early　in　the　morning　the　nurse　came　to　call　Juliet；　and　to　dress　her　for　her　wedding；　but　she　would　not　wake；　and　at　last　the　nurse　cried　out　suddenly

〃Alas！　alas！　help！　help！　my　lady's　dead！　Oh；　well…a…day　that　ever　I　was　born！〃

Lady　Capulet　came　running　in；　and　then　Lord　Capulet；　and　Lord　Paris；　the　bridegroom。　　There　lay　Juliet　cold　and　white　and　lifeless；　and　all　their　weeping　could　not　wake　her。　　So　it　was　a　burying　that　day　instead　of　a　marrying。　　Meantime　Friar　Laurence　had　sent　a　messenger　to　Mantua　with　a　letter　to　Romeo　telling　him　of　all　these　things；　and　all　would　have　been　well；　only　the　messenger　was　delayed；　and　could　not　go。

But　ill　news　travels　fast。　　Romeo's　servant　who　knew　the　secret　of　the　marriage；　but　not　of　Juliet's　pretended　death；　heard　of　her　funeral；　and　hurried　to　Mantua　to　tell　Romeo　how　his　young　wife　was　dead　and　lying　in　the　grave。

〃Is　it　so？〃　cried　Romeo；　heart…broken。　　〃Then　I　will　lie　by　Juliet's　side　to…night。〃

And　he　bought　himself　a　poison；　and　went　straight　back　to　Verona。　He　hastened　to　the　tomb　where　Juliet　was　lying。　　It　was　not　a　grave；　but　a　vault。　　He　broke　open　the　door；　and　was　just　going　down　the　stone　steps　that　led　to　the　vault　where　all　the　dead　Capulets　lay；　when　he　heard　a　voice　bebind　him　calling　on　him　to　stop。

It　was　the　Count　Paris；　who　was　to　have　married　Juliet　that　very　day。

〃How　dare　you　come　here　and　disturb　the　dead　bodies　of　the　Capulets；　you　vile　Montagu？〃　cried　Paris。

Poor　Romeo；　half　mad　with　sorrow；　yet　tried　to　answer　gently。

〃You　were　told；〃　said　Paris；　〃that　if　you　returned　to　Verona　you　must　die。〃

〃I　must　indeed；〃　said　Romeo。　　〃I　came　here　for　nothing　else。　　Good；　gentle　youthleave　me！　　Oh；　gobefore　I　do　you　any　harm！　　I　love　you　better　than　myselfgoleave　me　here〃

Then　Paris　said；　〃I　defy　you；　and　I　arrest　you　as　a　felon；〃　and　Romeo；　in　his　anger　and　despair；　drew　his　sword。　　They　fought；　and　Paris　was　killed。

As　Romeo's　sword　pierced　him；　Paris　cried

〃Oh；　I　am　slain！　　If　thou　be　merciful；　open　the　tomb；　and　lay　me　with　Juliet！〃

And　Romeo　said；　〃In　faith　I　will。〃

And　he　carried　the　dead　man　into　the　tomb　and　laid　him　by　the　dear　Juliet's　side。　　Then　he　kneeled　by　Juliet　and　spoke　to　her；　and　held　her　in　his　arms；　and　kissed　her　cold　lips；　believing　that　she　was　dead；　while　all　the　while　she　was　coming　nearer　and　nearer　to　the　time　of　her　awakening。　　Then　he　drank　the　poison；　and　died　beside　his　sweetheart　and　wife。

Now　came　Friar　Laurence　when　it　was　too　late；　and　saw　all　that　had　happenedand　then　poor　Juliet　woke　out　of　her　sleep　to　find　her　husband　and　her　friend　both　dead　beside　her。

The　noise　of　the　fight　had　brought　other　folks　to　the　place　too；　and　Friar　Laurence；　hearing　them；　ran　away；　and　Juliet　was　left　alone。　　She　saw　the　cup　that　had　held　the　poison；　and　knew　how　all　had　happened；　and　since　no　poison　was　left　for　her；　she　drew　her　Romeo's　dagger　and　thrust　it　through　her　heartand　so；　falling　with　her　head　on　her　Romeo's　breast；　she　died。　　And　here　ends　the　story　of　these　faithful　and　most　unhappy　lovers。

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And　when　the　old　folks　knew　from　Friar　Laurence　of　all　that　had　befallen；　they　sorrowed　exceedingly；　and　now；　seeing　all　the　mischief　their　wicked　quarrel　had　wrought；　they　repented　them　of　it；　and　over　the　bodies　of　their　dead　children　they　clasped　hands　at　last；　in　friendship　and　forgiveness。




PERICLES



Pericles；　the　Prince　of　Tyre；　was　unfortunate　enough　to　make　an　enemy　of　Antiochus；　the　powerful　and　wicked　King　of　Antioch；　and　so　great　was　the　danger　in　which　he　stood　that；　on　the　advice　of　his　trusty　counselor；　Lord　Helicanus；　he　determined　to　travel　about　the　world　for　a　time。　　He　came　to　this　decision　despite　the　fact　that；　by　the　death　of　his　father；　he　was　now　King　of　Tyre。　So　he　set　sail　for　Tarsus；　appointing　Helicanus　Regent　during　his　absence。　　That　he　did　wisely　in　thus　leaving　his　kingdom　was　soon　made　clear。

Hardly　had　he　sailed　on　his　voyage；　when　Lord　Thaliard　arrived　from　Antioch　with　instructions　from　his　royal　master　to　kill　Pericles。　The　faithful　Helicanus　soon　discovered　the　deadly　purpose　of　this　wicked　lord；　and　at　once　sent　messengers　to　Tarsus　to　warn　the　King　of　the　danger　which　threatened　him。

The　people　of　Tarsus　were　in　such　poverty　and　distress　that　Pericles；　feeling　that　he　could　find　no　safe　refuge　there；　put　to　sea　again。　But　a　dreadful　storm　overtook　the　ship　in　which　he　was；　and　the　good　vessel　was　wrecked；　while　of　all　on　board　only　Pericles　was　saved。　　Bruised　and　wet　and　faint；　he　was　flung　upon　the　cruel　rocks　on　the　coast　of　Pentapolis；　the　country　of　the　good　King　Simonides。　　Worn　out　as　he　was；　he　looked　for　nothing　but　death；　and　that　speedily。　　But　some　fishermen；　coming　down　to　the　beach；　found　him　there；　and　gave　him　clothes　and　bade　him　be　of　good　cheer。

〃Thou　shalt　come　home　with　me；〃　said　one　of　them；　〃and　we　will　have　flesh　for　holidays；　fish　for　fasting　days；　and　moreo'er；　puddings　and　flapjacks；　and　thou　shalt　be　welcome。〃

They　told　him　that　on　the　morrow　many　princes　and　knights　were　going　to　the　King's　Court；　there　to　joust　and　tourney　for　the　love　of　his　daughter；　the　beautiful　Princess　Thaisa

〃Did　but　my　fortunes　equal　my　desires；〃　said　Pericles；　〃I'd　wish　to　make　one　there。〃

As　he　spoke；　some　of　the　fishermen　came　by；　drawing　their　net；　and　it　dragged　heavily；　resisting　all　their　efforts；　but　at　last　they　hauled　it　in；　to　find　that　it　contained　a　suit　of　rusty　armor；　and　looking　at　it；　he　blessed　Fortune　for　her　kindness；　for　he　saw　that　it　was　his　own；　which　had　been　given　to　him　by　his　dead　father。　　He　begged　the　fishermen　to　let　him　have　it　that　he　might　go　to　Court　and　take　part　in　the　tournament；　promising　that　if　ever　his　ill　fortunes　bettered；　he　would　reward　them　well。　　The　fishermen　readily　consented；　and　being　thus　fully　equipped；　Pericles　set　off　in　his　rusty　armor　to　the　King's　Court。

In　the　tournament　none　bore　himself　so　well　as　Pericles；　and　he　won　the　wreath　of　victory；　which　the　fair　Princess　herself　placed　on　his　brows。　　Then　at　her　father's　command　she　asked　him　who　he　was；　and　whence　he　came；　and　he　answered　that　he　was　a　knight　of　Tyre；　by　name　Pericles；　but　he　did　not　tell　her　that　he　was　the　King　of　that　country；　for　he　knew　that　if　once　his　whereabouts　became　known　to　Antiochus；　his　life　would　not　be　worth　a　pin's　purchase。

Nevertheless　Thaisa　loved　him　dearly；　and　the　King　was　so　pleased　with　his　courage　and　graceful　bearing　that　he　gladly　permitted　his　daughter　to　have　her　own　way；　when　she　told　him　she　would　marry　the　stranger　knight　or　die。

Thus　Pericles　became　the　husband　of　the　fair　lady　for　whose　sake　he　had　striven　with　the　knights　who　came　in　all　their　bravery　to　joust　and　tourney　for　her　love。

Meanwhile　the　wicked　King　Antiochus　had　died；　and　the　people　in　Tyre；　hearing　no　news　of　their　King；　urged　Lord　Helicanus　to　ascend　the　vacant　throne。　　But　they　could　only　get　him　to　promise　that　he　would　become　their　King；　if　at　the　end　of　a　year　Pericles　did　not　come　back。　　Moreover；　he　sent　forth