William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream

ACT III. 2. SCENE II. Another part of the wood. (continued)

DEMETRIUS
Abide me, if thou dar'st; for well I wot
Thou runn'st before me, shifting every place;
And dar'st not stand, nor look me in the face.
Where art thou?

PUCK
Come hither; I am here.

DEMETRIUS
Nay, then, thou mock'st me.
Thou shalt buy this dear,
If ever I thy face by daylight see:
Now, go thy way. Faintness constraineth me
To measure out my length on this cold bed.--
By day's approach look to be visited.

[Lies down and sleeps.]

[Enter HELENA.]

HELENA
O weary night, O long and tedious night,
Abate thy hours! Shine comforts from the east,
That I may back to Athens by daylight,
From these that my poor company detest:--
And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye,
Steal me awhile from mine own company.

[Sleeps.]

PUCK
  Yet but three? Come one more;
  Two of both kinds makes up four.
  Here she comes, curst and sad:--
  Cupid is a knavish lad,
  Thus to make poor females mad.

[Enter HERMIA.]

HERMIA
Never so weary, never so in woe,
  Bedabbled with the dew, and torn with briers;
I can no further crawl, no further go;
  My legs can keep no pace with my desires.
Here will I rest me till the break of day.
Heavens shield Lysander, if they mean a fray!

[Lies down.]

PUCK
  On the ground
  Sleep sound:
  I'll apply
  To your eye,
  Gentle lover, remedy.

[Squeezing the juice on LYSANDER'S eye.]

  When thou wak'st,
  Thou tak'st
  True delight
  In the sight
Of thy former lady's eye:
And the country proverb known,
That every man should take his own,
In your waking shall be shown:
  Jack shall have Jill;
  Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well.

[Exit PUCK.--DEMETRIUS, HELENA &c, sleep.]