Stage Fright on a Summer Night - Mary Pope Osborne [8]
Jack gasped. “The bear! You stole him!”
“I had to,” said Annie. “I went to the cart when no one was looking. I put a costume on him. So if we passed people on the way here, they’d think he was an actor.”
“But you can’t just steal him!” said Jack.
“I wasn’t stealing. I was saving,” said Annie. “I’m not sure what to do with him now. What do you think?”
Just then the bear’s owner charged into the woods. “Where’s my bear?” he shouted. His face was red. He was scowling.
“Thieves!” he yelled. “Give him back! I’m selling him to the fights!”
“NO!” said Annie, standing between the bear and the man. “He’s a tame bear! Not a fighter!”
“She’s right!” said Jack, jumping in. “And besides, bear fighting is stupid! Really stupid!”
“ ’Tis, indeed,” said a deep voice.
Jack, Annie, and the bear’s owner whirled around. Will and Puck were standing at the edge of the woods.
“Tut, tut, you’re a sorry sight, man,” Will said to the bear’s owner. “Trying to sell an old tame bear to the fights. Well, I’ve been planning to write a play with a part for a bear. So take this money for him and be gone.”
Will handed some gold coins to the bear’s owner.
The man’s eyes grew wide. He laughed.
“You can have him!” the man said. And he took off.
“Thank you, and good riddance!” called Will. Then he turned to Puck. “Take our new player to the stables. Tell the actors they needn’t be afraid of him. He’s tamer than most of them.”
“Come this way,” Puck said. He put his arm around the bear and gently led him out from the trees. “You’ll love the stage, old man.”
“Bye, Puck! Bye, Dan!” said Annie.
Puck smiled and waved. The bear stared for a moment at Jack and Annie. He had a grateful look in his eyes. Then he lumbered off with Puck.
“Thanks, Will, for helping Dan,” said Annie. “And for helping us.”
“Thank you both for helping me,” said Will. “You saved the day.”
“The night, you mean,” said Jack.
“Indeed, the night,” said Will. “Oh, here is your bag. You forgot it.” He gave Jack his leather bag. Then he held up their two scrolls with their lines on them.
“And you can take these,” said Will. He handed them to Jack, and Jack put them in his bag.
“Where are you off to now?” said Will.
“The other side of London Bridge,” said Annie.
“Ah, I can take you there in my boat,” said Will. “Follow me.”
Will led them along a dusty path toward the river. The last rays of the sun slanted through the trees. Soon they came to a small rowboat docked on the Thames.
“Climb in,” said Will.
Jack, Annie, and Will climbed in. Will untied the boat from the dock. Then he began rowing across the river.
The water reflected the purple and pink in the sky. Only a few white swans now glided over the shimmering ripples. The river smelled as bad as before, but Jack didn’t mind now. He had grown used to it.
Jack pulled out his notebook and pencil.
“What are you doing?” Will asked.
“I wanted to write some of my memories in my notebook,” said Jack.
“Ah, and I’ll note you both in my book of memory,” said Will.
Jack smiled.
“I have a question, Will,” said Annie. “Why does Queen Elizabeth have black teeth?”
“Too much sugar,” said Will.
“I hope it doesn’t make her feel bad—looking that way, I mean,” said Annie.
“Oh, no, she’s not the least hurt,” said Will. “The queen has no idea how she looks. She hasn’t peeked in a good mirror for twenty years.”
“Is that true?” said Annie.
“ ’Tis,” said Will. “The queen pretends to be young and beautiful. Just as you pretended to be a boy, and the bear pretended to be an actor. You see, all the world’s a stage.”
Jack liked that idea. He wrote in his notebook:
Jack looked up at London Bridge as they passed by. The shops on the bridge were closed now. The theater crowd was thinning out.
The scary black birds were no longer on the rooftops. They had swooped down and were picking at the garbage left on the cobblestones.
The show was over.
By the time they came