Crushing on a Capulet (12 page)

“Because you get to talk it over with your pals.”

We headed through the halls to our classroom.

“Plus,” I said, “we can also make sure the bad things don't happen again. That's what a tragedy is good for.”

Frankie nodded thoughtfully. “Nicely said, Devin. And you know what else is a tragedy?”

“What?”

“Your legs … in tights.”

I gave her a look, then burst out laughing. “You looked pretty funny in that big grape-colored dress, you know!”

“Oh, yeah? Well, thou hast knobby knees!”

“And thou lookest funny climbing a rope ladder!”

“Soft, what doofus in yonder desk sits!”

“Uh-oh, Frankie,” I said. “We better call the nurse right away. I think we're coming down with a bad case of … of …”

“What?”

“Shakespeare!”

F
ROM THE
D
ESK OF

I
RENE
M. F
IGGLEHOPPER
, L
IBRARIAN

Dear Reader.

Alas and forsooth! As Frankie and Devin discovered, poor Juliet and her Romeo do come to a sad end. Yet from the first performance of this play in 1595, the world seems to have taken the story of these two “star-crossed” lovers straight to its heart. I know I have. And I think Frankie and Devin have, too.

Shakespeare! A mere mention of his name conjures a list of the finest plays ever composed:
Hamlet
,
King Lear
,
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth
,
As You Like It
,
Othello
,
Twelfth Night
.

But who was William Shakespeare?

In fact, not much is known about him. We do know that he was born in 1564, probably on April 23, in the small English country town of Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway when he was eighteen, and together they had three children. Sometime later, William left Stratford for the great city of London.

By 1594 he had formed his own theatrical group, The Lord Chamberlain's Men. Within a few short years he began to be acclaimed as a writer of hilarious comedies and noble tragedies. By all accounts, William was a fast writer, too, penning two or more plays a year (and probably acting in every single one of them!).

In 1599, the famous Globe Theater was built on the banks of the Thames river in London, with William as one of its joint owners. The Globe was a large, eight-sided, open-air theater with a stage jutting out into the middle, where the crowd stood. From the time it was built, most of William's plays premiered there.

The last major play he wrote was
The Tempest
, about a powerful, but aging magician who gives up his power in order to live as a normal person again. It was first performed in 1611. That year, William himself seems to have retired from the London scene, to live his remaining years in 5tratford as a country gentleman.

Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, 1616, and is buried in the same church where he was baptized. Stratford-upon-Avon is now a world-famous tourist attraction.

Romeo and Juliet
is certainly one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, but did you know that Romeo and Juliet were the names of two real people who actually lived (and, yes, died) in Verona, Italy, in the 14th century? Well, it's true. Of course, what William made of that story is full of beautiful poetry, swift action, boisterous humor, and tearful tragedy. It's no secret why people proclaim his plays the greatest in the English language!

Speaking of secrets, I'd better go turn off those pesky Tapper gates. I don't want anyone to discover my secret!

Until then, see you where the books are!

I. M. Figglehopper

About the Author

Over the last two decades, Tony Abbott has written dozens of mysteries, comics, and adventure books for young readers aged six to fourteen, with series including Danger Guys, the Time Surfers, the Weird Zone, Underworlds, Goofballs, and the long-running fantasy series the Secrets of Droon. He is also the author of the fantasy epic
Kringle
and the realistic novels
Firegirl
(winner of the 2006 Golden Kite Award for Fiction),
The Postcard
(winner of the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery), and
Lunch-Box Dream
. Among his latest novels is
The Forbidden Stone
, the first installment of the twelve-book saga the Copernicus Legacy. Tony has taught on the faculty of Lesley University's MFA program in creative writing, is a frequent conference speaker and visitor to schools, and presents workshops to creative writers of all ages. His websites include
www.tonyabbottbooks.com
,
www.thecopernicuslegacy.com
, and the literary blog
www.fridaybookreport.com
.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2003 by Tony Abbott

Cover design by Connie Gabbert

ISBN: 978-1-4804-8692-8

This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com

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