07 In the Forest, in the Night

7 In the Forest, in the Night Jack stood onstage in the bright sunlight. He felt three thousand pairs of eyes staring at him. “ How now, spirit! ” Puck said in a loud voice. “ Whither wander you?" Jack looked down at his scroll. He pushed his glasses into place. He opened his mouth. No sound came out. One of the groundlings hissed.

“ How now, spirit! ” Puck shouted even louder this time. “ Whither wander you?” Jack closed his eyes. He felt the summer night. He took a deep breath. He cleared his throat. He looked at his speech. Then he began to read: Over hill, over dale, Through bush, through briar; Over park, over pale, Through food, through fr, I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere, And l serve the Fairy Queen. . . . As Jack read, the audience grew quiet. Jack forgot he was Jack, He was in the forest, in the night, talking to Puck. When he finished, not a single groundling hissed or threw things.

Jack took a deep breath as Puck started his lines. Jack knew he had one more speech. His heart pounded. But it was more from excitement now than fear. When it was time to start his second speech, he was ready. This time, he spoke very clearly and with feeling. He tried to be as natural as possible. When he finished his speech, the audience clapped and clapped. Jack hardly remembered leaving the stage. Will was waiting for him. “ Hurrah! " said Will, slapping Jack on the back. “ You were brilliant! " Jack blushed as he gave Will his scroll back. He couldn't believe he'd just performed, acted, in front of all those people! And he'd actually had fun-just like Annie had said.

Jack waited in the shadows for Annie to do her part. He watched her go onstage with the fairy queen and the other fairies. When the queen asked the fairies to sing her to sleep, Annie stepped forward. Reading from her scroll, she sang out clearly-and with lots of feeling: You spotted snakes, with double tongue, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen; Annie waved her hand as if shooing away the snakes and hedgehogs. Newts and blind wors, do no wrong, Come not near our Fairy Queen. . . Annie shook her finger at the newts and blind worms. The audience howled with laughter. Annie kept singing. She made funny movements and silly faces to go with the words. She even added a little dance to her song.

By the time she finished, the audience clapped and cheered and stamped their feet. “ Wonderful, job, Andy! ” Will said when Annie left the stage. “ You were brilliant! " Jack told her.