Excerpt from The Taming of the Shrew - anthology.

« CURTIS.

Here. GRUMIO.

There. He boxes Curtis’s ear CURTIS.

This 'tis to feel a tale, not to hear a tale. GRUMIO.

And therefore 'tis called a sensible tale; and this cuff was but to knock at your ear and beseech listening.

Now I begin.

Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mistress— CURTIS.

Both of one horse? GRUMIO.

What's that to thee? CURTIS.

Why, a horse. GRUMIO.

Tell thou the tale.

But hadst thou not crossed me, thou shouldst have heard how her horse fell, and she under her horse; thou shouldst have heard in howmiry a place, how she was bemoiled, how he left her with the horse upon her, how he beat me because her horse stumbled, how she waded through the dirt to pluckhim off me, how he swore, how she prayed that never prayed before, how I cried, how the horses ran away, how her bridle was burst, how I lost my crupper—withmany things of worthy memory, which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienced to thy grave. CURTIS.

By this reckoning he is more shrew than she. GRUMIO.

Ay, and that thou and the proudest of you all shall find when he comes home.

But what talk I of this? Call forth Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Philip,Walter, Sugarsop, and the rest.

Let their heads be slickly combed, their blue coats brushed, and their garters of an indifferent knit.

Let them curtsy with their left legs,and not presume to touch a hair of my master's horse-tail till they kiss their hands.

Are they all ready? CURTIS.

They are. GRUMIO.

Call them forth. CURTIS.

Do you hear, ho? You must meet my master to countenance my mistress. GRUMIO.

Why, she hath a face of her own. CURTIS.

Who knows not that? GRUMIO.

Thou, it seems, that calls for company to countenance her. CURTIS.

I call them forth to credit her. GRUMIO.

Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them. Enter four or five Servingmen NATHANIEL.

Welcome home, Grumio. PHILIP.

How now, Grumio. JOSEPH.

What, Grumio. NICHOLAS.

Fellow Grumio. NATHANIEL.

How now, old lad. GRUMIO.

Welcome, you.

How now, you.

What, you.

Fellow, you.

And thus much for greeting.

Now, my spruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat? NATHANIEL.

All things is ready.

How near is our master? GRUMIO.

E'en at hand, alighted by this.

And therefore be not—Cock's passion, silence! I hear my master. Enter Petruchio and Katherina PETRUCHIO.

Where be these knaves? What, no man at doorTo hold my stirrup nor to take my horse?Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip? ALL SERVINGMEN.

Here, here sir, here sir. PETRUCHIO.

Here sir, here sir, here sir, here sir!You logger-headed and unpolished grooms!What, no attendance? No regard? No duty?Where is the foolish knave I sent before?. »