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Flu. O—“As true as truest horse, that yet would never tire.”

[Enter Puck, and Bottom with an ass’s head.]

Bot. “If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine.”

Quin. O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted. Pray, masters, fly, masters! Help!

[Exeunt Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout, and Starveling.]

Puck.

I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about a round,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier:

Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire,

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

Exit.

Bot. Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard.

Enter Snout.

Snout. O Bottom, thou art chang’d! What do I see on thee?

Bot. What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own, do you?

[Exit Snout.]

Enter Quince.

Quin. Bless thee. Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated.

Exit.

Bot. I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could; but I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.