RODEO AND JEWELETTE
by Colt in the Moon
"Alright class," Cheerilee said. The class quieted. "As part of the festivites of the Grand Galloping Gala we are going to be learning about William Shakeshoof and performing one of his play. Many ponies are going to be helping out, and if we're lucky the princess may grace us with her prescence by playing a small role in the play. "
A small blue colt about half way back raised his hoof. "Which play?"
"We will hopefully be performing his play Rodeo and Jewellette. The legend of Rodeo and Jewellette is one about the start of the Grand Galloping Gala. Rodeo and Jewellette came from two families that didn't didn't get along and argued a lot. At a Gala, the first Grand Galloping Gala, the two say each other and fell in love."
The word love caused play-sickening sounds from the students.
"But because their families fought, the two couldn't see each other. The two marry in secret, but their families continue to fight, and some ponies wind up seriously hurt. Rodeo get banished, and Jewellette cannot stand to live without him. The two arrange a meeting, but things go wrong, and both of them wind up very very hurt. This causes the two families to stop fighting and in honor of the two pony's true love we celebrate their first meeting every year with a Grand Galloping Gala."
-from Pony textbook-
William Shakeshoof was born to Pohnny Shakeshoof and dam Mare Arden some time in late April 1564 in Trotsford-upon-Avon. There is no record of his birth, but his baptism was recorded by the church, thus his birthday is assumed to be the 23 of April. His sire was a prominent and prosperous alderhorse in the town of Trotsford-upon-Avon, and was later granted a coat of hooves by the College of Heralds in Canterlot. All that is known of Shakeshoof's youth is that he presumably attended the Trotsford Grammar School, and did not proceed to Oxford or Camelbridge. The next record we have of him is his marriage to Anne Poniway in 1582. The next year she bore a filly for him, Mareanna, followed by the twins Judith and Hamnet two years later.
Seven years later Shakeshoof is recognized as an actor, poet and playwright, when a rival playwright, Robert Greenflank, refers to him as "an upstart cow" in A Goatsworth of Wit. A few years later he joined up with one of the most successful acting troupe's in London: The Lord Blueblood's Men. When, in 1599, the troupe lost the lease of the theatre where they performed, (appropriately called The Theatre) they were wealthy enough to build their own theatre across the Thames, south of London, which they called "The Rose." The new theatre opened in July of 1599, built from the timbers of The Theatre, with the motto "Totus mundus agit histrionem" (A whole world of players). Princess Celestia later was designated the troupe as the Princess's Pony Players. The Letters Patent of the compony specifically charged Shakeshoof and eight others "freely to use and exercise the art and faculty of playing Comedies, Tragedies, Histories, Inerludes, Morals, Pastorals, stage plays ... as well for recreation of our loving subjects as for our solace and pleasure."
Shakeshoof entertained the Princess and the common ponies for another ten years until June 19, 1613, when a canon fired from the roof of the theatre for a gala performance of Elizabeak VIII set fire to the thatch roof and burned the theatre to the ground. The audience ignored the smoke from the roof at first, being to absorbed in the play, until the flames caught the walls and the fabric of the curtains. Amazingly there were no casualties, and the next spring the compony had the theatre "new builded in a far fairer manner than before." Although Shakeshoof invested in the rebuilding, he retired from the stage to the Great House of New Place in Trotsford that he had purchased in 1597, and some considerable land holdings, where he continued to write until his death in 1616 on the day of his 52nd birthday.
A few weeks later: The Performance
(The curtain slowly rises on the stage, in the few weeks the cast has been chosen, and parts rehersed)
Cast for this scene:
Rodeo- Scootaloo
Tybuck- Diamond Tiara
Benponio- Sweetie Belle
Apple- Big Macintosh
Lady Apple- Applejack
Cherry- Cherry Pop
Lady Cherry- Cherries Jubilee
Sampony- Snips
Gregpony- Snails
Abrapony- Sunny Days
Colthasar- Peachy Pie
Princess Celestia- Princess Celestia
ACT I
PROLOGUE (Cheerilee to audience)
Two stables, both alike in dignity,
In fair Ponyville, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hooves unclean.
From forth the fatal flanks of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
SCENE I. Verona. A public place.
Enter SAMPONY and GREGPONY, of the house of Apple, hooved with swords and bucklers
SAMPONY
Grepony, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.
GREGPONY
No, for then we should be colliers.
SAMPONY
I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.
GREGPONY
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the harness.
SAMPONY
I strike quickly, being moved.
GREGPONY
But thou art not quickly moved to lash out.
SAMPONY
A dog of the house of Cherry moves me.
GREGPONY
To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:
therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.
SAMPONY
A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will
take the wall of any colt or mare of Cherry's.
GREGPONY
That shows thee a weak pony; for the weakest goes
to the wall.
SAMPONY
True; and therefore mares, being the weaker vessels,
are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push
Cherry's colts from the wall, and thrust his mares
to the wall.
GREGPONY
The quarrel is between our masters and us their ponies.
SAMPONY
'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I
have fought with the ponies, I will be cruel with the
mares, and cut off their hooves.
GREGPONY
The hooves of the mares?
SAMPONY
Ay, the hooves of the mares, or their maidenhooves;
take it in what sense thou wilt.
GREGPONY
They must take it in sense that feel it.
SAMPONY
Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and
'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.
GREGPONY
'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou
hadst been poor Pohny. Draw thy tool! here comes
two of the house of the Cherry.
SAMPONY
My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.
GREGPONY
How! turn thy back and run?
SAMPONY
Fear me not.
GREGPONY
No, marry; I fear thee!
SAMPONY
Let us take the law of our flanks; let them begin.
GREGPONY
I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as
they list.
SAMPONY
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my hoof at them;
which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Enter ABRAPONY and COLTHASAR
ABRAPONY
Do you bite your hoof at us, sir?
SAMPONY
I do bite my hoof, sir.
ABRAPONY
Do you bite your hoof at us, sir?
SAMPONY
[Aside to GREGPONY] Is the law of our flank, if I say
ay?
GREGPONY
Neigh.
SAMPONY
Neigh, sir, I do not bite my hoof at you, sir, but I
bite my hoof, sir.
GREGPONY
Do you quarrel, sir?
ABRAPONY
Quarrel sir! Neigh, sir.
SAMPONY
If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a pony as you.
ABRAPONY
No better.
SAMPONY
Well, sir.
GREGPONY
Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinshorse.
SAMPONY
Yes, better, sir.
ABRAPONY
You lie.
SAMPONY
Draw, if you be hooved. Grepony, remember thy swashing blow.
They fight
Enter BENPONIO
BENPONIO
Part, fools!
Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
Beats down their swords with his forehooves
Enter TYBUCK
TYBUCK
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benponio, look upon thy death.
BENPONIO
I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these ponies with me.
TYBUCK
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Cherries, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!
They fight
Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs
First Citizen
Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
Down with the Apples! down with the Cherries!
Enter APPLE in his gown, and LADY APPLE
APPLE
What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
LADY APPLE
A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword?
APPLE
My sword, I say! Old Cherry is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
Enter CHERRY and LADY CHERRY
CHERRY
Thou villain Apple,-Hold me not, let me go.
LADY CHERRY
Thou shalt not stir a hoof to seek a foe.
Enter PRINCESS CELESTIA, with Attendants
PRINCESS CELESTIA
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,-
Will they not hear? What, ho! you ponies, you animals,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hoovess
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved princess.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Apple, and Cherry,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
And made Ponyville's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You Apple; shall go along with me:
And, Cherry, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To the old castle, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all ponies depart.
Exeunt all but CHERRY, LADY CHERRY, and BENPONIO
CHERRY
Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?
Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
BENPONIO
Here were the servants of your adversary,
And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:
I drew to part them: in the instant came
The fiery Tybuck, with his sword prepared,
Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head and cut the winds,
Who nothing hurt withal hiss'd him in scorn:
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came more and more and fought on part and part,
Till the princess came, who parted either part.
LADY CHERRY
O, where is Rodeo? saw you him to-day?
Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
BENPONIO
Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun
Peer'd forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drave me to trot abroad;
Where, underneath the grove of sycamore
That westward rooteth from the city's side,
So early walking did I see your son:
Towards him I made, but he was ware of me
And stole into the covert of the wood:
I, measuring his affections by my own,
That most are busied when they're most alone,
Pursued my humour not pursuing his,
And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me.
CHERRY
Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the furthest east begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
Away from the light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his stable pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out
And makes himself an artificial night:
Black and portentous must this humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
BENPONIO
My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
CHERRY
I neither know it nor can learn of him.
BENPONIO
Have you importuned him by any means?
CHERRY
Both by myself and many other friends:
But he, his own affections' counsellor,
Is to himself-I will not say how true-
But to himself so secret and so close,
So far from sounding and discovery,
As is the bud bit with an envious worm,
Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,
Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.
Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow.
We would as willingly give cure as know.
Enter RODEO
BENPONIO
See, where he comes: so please you, step aside;
I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.
CHERRY
I would thou wert so happy by thy stay,
To hear true shrift. Come, my love, let's away.
Exeunt CHERRY and LADY CHERRY
BENPONIO
Good-morrow, cousin.
RODEO
Is the day so young?
BENPONIO
But new struck nine.
RODEO
Ay me! sad hours seem long.
Was that my sire that went hence so fast?
BENPONIO
It was. What sadness lengthens Rodeo's hours?
RODEO
Not having that, which, having, makes them short.
BENPONIO
In love?
RODEO
Out-
BENPONIO
Of love?
RODEO
Out of her favour, where I am in love.
BENPONIO
Alas, that love, so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
RODEO
Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,
Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.
Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O any thing, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
Mis-shapen discord of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire,
sick health!
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?
BENPONIO
No, coz, I rather weep.
RODEO
Good heart, at what?
BENPONIO
At thy good heart's oppression.
RODEO
Why, such is love's transgression.
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my cutie-mark,
Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest
With more of thine: this love that thou hast shown
Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs;
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes;
Being vex'd a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears:
What is it else? a madness most discreet,
A choking gall and a preserving sweet.
Farewell, my coz.
BENPONIO
Soft! I will go along;
An if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
RODEO
Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here;
This is not Rodeo, he's some place else.
BENPONIO
Tell me in sadness, who is that you love.
RODEO
What, shall I groan and tell thee?
BENPONIO
Groan! why, no.
But sadly tell me who.
RODEO
Bid a sick pony in sadness make his will:
Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill!
In sadness, cousin, I do love a mare.
BENPONIO
I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved.
RODEO
A right good mark, Horse! And she's fair I love.
BENPONIO
A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.
RODEO
Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit
With Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian's wit;
And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd,
From love's weak foalish bow she lives unharm'd.
She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,
Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:
O, she is rich in beauty, only poor,
That when she dies with beauty dies her store.
BENPONIO
Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?
RODEO
She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste,
For beauty starved with her severity
Cuts beauty off from all posterity.
She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair,
To merit bliss by making me despair:
She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow
Do I live dead that live to tell it now.
BENPONIO
Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
RODEO
O, teach me how I should forget to think.
BENPONIO
By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
Examine other beauties.
RODEO
'Tis the way
To call hers exquisite, in question more:
These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows
Being black put us in mind they hide the fair;
He that is strucken blind cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost:
Show me a maretress that is passing fair,
What doth her beauty serve, but as a note
Where I may read who pass'd that passing fair?
Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget.
BENPONIO
I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
Exeunt
