36 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM.

house?” asked the Queen. ‘“I’d rather have a handful or two of good
dried peas,” said the clown. ‘But please don’t let any of your people
«listurb me, I am going to sleep.”

Then said the Queen, “ And I will wind thee in my arms.”

And so when Oberon came along he found his beautiful Queen
lavishing kisses and endearments on a clown with a donkey’s head.
And before he released her from the enchantment, he persuaded her to
give him the little Indian boy he so much desired to have. Then he
took pity on her, and threw some juice of the disenchanting flower on
her pretty eyes; and then in a moment she saw plainly the donkey-
headed clown she had been loving, and knew how foolish she had been.

Oberon took off the ass’s head from the clown, and left him to
finish his sleep with his own silly head lying on the thyme and violets.

Thus all was made plain and straight again. Oberon and Titania
loved each other more than ever. Demetrius thought of no one but
Helena, and Helena had never had any thought of anyone but Demetrius.
As for Hermia and Lysander, they were as loving a couple as you could
meet in a day’s march, even through a fairy-wood. So the four mortal
lovers went back to Athens and were married; and the fairy King and
(Queen live happily together in that. very wood at this very day.