Scene the Wood and Bower
Enter Queen of Fairies, Bottom; Fairies attending and the King behind them.
Queen. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed. Say wilt thou hear some music sweet dove.
Bot. I have a reasonable good ear in music.
DUET. By 1st and 2d Fairy.
Welcome, welcome to this place,
Favorite of the Fairy Queen;
Zephyrs, play around his face,
Wash, ye dews, his graceful mien.
Pluck the wings from butterflies,
To fan the moon-beams from his eyes;
Round him in eternal spring
Grashoppers and crickets sing.
By the spangled starlight sheen,
Nature’s joy he walks the green;
Sweet voice, fine shape, and graceful mien,
Speak him thine, O Fairy Queen!
Queen. Or say, sweet love, what thou desir’st to eat.
I have a ventrous Fairy that shall seek
The squirrels hoard, and fetch thee new nuts.
Bot. I pray you, let none of your people stir me; I have an exposition of sleep come upon me.
Queen. Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms;
Fairies begone, and be always away.
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
Gently entwist.
O how I love thee! how I doat on thee! [They sleep.
Enter Puck, at one door, Oberon and 1st Fairy at another.
Ob. Welcome, good Robin! See’st thou this sweet sight?
Her dotage now I do begin to pity:
For meeting her of late behind the wood,
I then did ask of her her changeling child,
Which strait she gave me; wherefore I’ll undo
This hateful imperfection of her eyes:
[He strokes her eyes with the flower.
Now, Fairy, sing the charm.