Pursued by a bear

The vacation is over now  :(  and it ended in such a hurry, as though it were being chased by a bear!  And I'm still working on only my fourth poem (I need 10 to 12 poems by the end of February in order to apply to Iowa again this year)  :(

Looking for lighter thought, I came up with this part from "Winter's Tale":
___________________________

From Winter’s Tale, Act 4, Scene 4

By William Shakespeare

[Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing.]

AUTOLYCUS.

Lawn as white as driven snow;

Cypress black as e'er was crow;

Gloves as sweet as damask-roses;

Masks for faces and for noses;

Bugle-bracelet, necklace amber,

Perfume for a lady's chamber;

Golden quoifs and stomachers,

For my lads to give their dears;

Pins and poking-sticks of steel,

What maids lack from head to heel.

Come, buy of me, come; come buy, come buy;

Buy, lads, or else your lasses cry:

Come, buy.

CLOWN.

If I were not in love with Mopsa, thou shouldst take no

money of me; but being enthralled as I am, it will also be the

bondage of certain ribbons and gloves.

MOPSA.

I was promis'd them against the feast; but they come not too

late now.

DORCAS.

He hath promised you more than that, or there be liars.

MOPSA.

He hath paid you all he promised you: may be he has paid you

more,—which will shame you to give him again.

CLOWN.

Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their

plackets where they should bear their faces? Is there not

milking-time, when you are going to bed, or kiln-hole, to whistle

off these secrets, but you must be tittle-tattling before all our

guests? 'tis well they are whispering. Clamour your tongues, and

not a word more.

MOPSA.

I have done. Come, you promised me a tawdry lace, and a pair

of sweet gloves.

CLOWN.

Have I not told thee how I was cozened by the way, and lost

all my money?

AUTOLYCUS.

And indeed, sir, there are cozeners abroad; therefore it

behoves men to be wary.

CLOWN.

Fear not thou, man; thou shalt lose nothing here.

AUTOLYCUS.

I hope so, sir; for I have about me many parcels of charge.

CLOWN.

What hast here? ballads?

MOPSA.

Pray now, buy some: I love a ballad in print a-life; for

then we are sure they are true.

AUTOLYCUS.

Here's one to a very doleful tune. How a usurer's wife

was brought to bed of twenty money-bags at a burden, and how she

long'd to eat adders' heads and toads carbonadoed.

MOPSA.

Is it true, think you?

AUTOLYCUS.

Very true; and but a month old.

DORCAS.

Bless me from marrying a usurer!

AUTOLYCUS.

Here's the midwife's name to't, one Mistress Taleporter,

and five or six honest wives that were present. Why should I

carry lies abroad?

MOPSA.

Pray you now, buy it.

CLOWN.

Come on, lay it by; and let's first see more ballads; we'll

buy the other things anon.

AUTOLYCUS.

Here's another ballad, of a fish that appeared upon the

coast on Wednesday the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom

above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of

maids: it was thought she was a woman, and was turned into a cold

fish for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her.

The ballad is very pitiful, and as true.

DORCAS.

Is it true too, think you?

AUTOLYCUS.

Five justices' hands at it; and witnesses more than my pack will

hold.

CLOWN.

Lay it by too: another.

AUTOLYCUS.

This is a merry ballad; but a very pretty one.

MOPSA.

Let's have some merry ones.

AUTOLYCUS.

Why, this is a passing merry one, and goes to the tune of 'Two

maids wooing a man.' There's scarce a maid westward but she sings

it: 'tis in request, I can tell you.

MOPSA.

We can both sing it: if thou'lt bear a part thou shalt hear; 'tis in

three parts.

DORCAS.

We had the tune on't a month ago.

AUTOLYCUS.

I can bear my part; you must know 'tis my occupation: have at it

with you.

[SONG.]

AUTOLYCUS.

Get you hence, for I must go

Where it fits not you to know.

DORCAS.

Whither?

MOPSA.

O, whither?

DORCAS.

Whither?

MOPSA.

It becomes thy oath full well

Thou to me thy secrets tell.

DORCAS.

Me too! Let me go thither.

MOPSA.

Or thou goest to the grange or mill:

DORCAS.

If to either, thou dost ill.

AUTOLYCUS.

Neither.

DORCAS.

What, neither?

AUTOLYCUS.

Neither.

DORCAS.

Thou hast sworn my love to be;

MOPSA.

Thou hast sworn it more to me;

Then whither goest?—say, whither?

CLOWN.

We'll have this song out anon by ourselves; my father and the

gentlemen are in sad talk, and we'll not trouble them.—Come,

bring away thy pack after me.—Wenches, I'll buy for you both:—

Pedlar, let's have the first choice.—Follow me, girls.

[Exit with DORCAS and MOPSA.]

AUTOLYCUS.

[Aside.]

And you shall pay well for 'em.

Will you buy any tape,

Or lace for your cape,

My dainty duck, my dear-a?

Any silk, any thread,

Any toys for your head,

Of the new'st and fin'st, fin'st wear-a?

Come to the pedlar;

Money's a meddler

That doth utter all men's ware-a.

[Exeunt CLOWN, AUT., DOR., and MOP.]