Stage Fright on a Summer Night

them wailed. “I cannot be a lion without my mask!”
    â€œHush, of course you can,” said Will. “Just roar! And roar again!”
    Will pushed the actor onstage. He wiped his brow. Then he caught sight of Jack.
    â€œGet Andy!” he said. “It’s almost time for our bow.”
    Annie? Where is Annie?
Jack wondered. He hadn’t seen her in a while. He peeked into the costume room. She wasn’t there.
    Jack’s heart started to pound. He had a scary thought … .
    â€œOh, no,” he whispered.
    Jack ran down the stairs. He opened the door. He was happy to see Annie running out from some trees behind the theater.
    â€œIt’s time to bow!” he said, grabbing her hand. “Where have you been? What did you do?”
    â€œI’ll show you later!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie charged upstairs together.They found Will and some of the actors waiting.
    Puck was finishing his last speech onstage:
    So good night unto you all.

Give me your hands if we be friends … .
    â€œAndy! Jack!” said Will. He grabbed Annie and Jack.
    Puck ended his speech. The audience gave a big hand. They clapped and whistled and shouted.
    Jack and Annie ran onstage with Will and the other actors. While the crowd cheered, they all bowed once … twice … and once again.

Will stepped forward and held up his hands. Slowly the crowd quieted down.
    â€œThank you all,” he said. “And thank you to the most important person in all the world. She has graced us with her presence today.”
    Will made a sweeping bow to a woman in a gallery above the stage. The woman wore a white dress with pearls. A veil covered her face.
    The woman stood up and slowly lifted the veil. She had pale, wrinkled skin and small dark eyes. She wore a red wig.
    The audience members let out a gasp. They all fell to their knees.
    â€œLong live Queen Elizabeth!” said Will.
    â€œLong live Queen Elizabeth!” the crowd shouted.

    â€œLong live Queen Elizabeth!” shouted Jack and Annie.
    The queen smiled. Her teeth were all black! The audience didn’t seem to mind. They cheered even louder.
    The queen raised one hand and the crowd instantly hushed.
    â€œI thank you, my good people,” she said. “And I thank all these good players, every one. Today, they gave us a special kind of magic—the magic of theater. They turned the very daytime into night.”
    â€œOh, man,” whispered Jack. That was it—the special magic. Their search was over.
    The audience cheered again. When the actors left the stage, they gathered around Will to congratulate him on his success.
    Annie pulled Jack aside.
    â€œWe found it!” she said. “The magic!”
    â€œI know!” Jack said. “Will helped us. Let’s thank him!”
    â€œLater,” said Annie. “First I have to show you something. I need your help! Quick!”
    Annie led Jack downstairs and outside. As people streamed away from the Globe, the late afternoon sun was going down.
    â€œThis way,” said Annie. She headed for the patch of trees behind the theater.
    When she and Jack stepped into the gloomy shade, Jack saw an odd figure near a tree. A purple cape barely covered his furry back. A golden wig and a lion mask barely hid his furry head.
    Jack gasped. “The bear! You stole him!”
    â€œI
had
to,” said Annie. “I went to the cart when no one was looking. I put a costume on him. So if we passed people on the way here, they’d think he was an actor.”
    â€œBut you can’t just steal him!” said Jack.
    â€œI wasn’t stealing. I was
saving,
” said Annie. “I’m not sure what to do with him now. What do you think?”
    Just then the bear’s owner charged into the woods. “Where’s my bear?” he shouted. His face was red. He was scowling.
    â€œThieves!” he yelled. “Give him back! I’m selling him to the fights!”
    â€œNO!” said Annie, standing between the bear and the man. “He’s a tame bear! Not a fighter!”
    â€œShe’s right!” said Jack, jumping in. “And besides, bear fighting is stupid! Really stupid!”
    â€œÂ â€™Tis, indeed,” said a deep voice.
    Jack, Annie, and the bear’s owner whirled around. Will and Puck were standing at the edge of the woods.

“Tut, tut, you’re a sorry sight, man,” Will