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Nurse, Lines 27-50
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Act 1,
Scene 3
Lines 27-50

The Nurse performs a speech from Act 1, Scene 3 of myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 

myShakespeare | Romeo and Juliet 1.3 Performance: Nurse, Lines 27-50

Nurse

Of all the days of the year upon that day,
For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,
Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall.
My lord and you were then at Mantua —                       
Nay, I do bear a brain — but, as I said,
When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple
Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool,
To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug!
“Shake!”, quoth the dove-house. Twas no need, I trow,
To bid me trudge.
And since that time it is eleven years,
For then she could stand high-lone — nay, by the rood,
She could have run and waddled all about;
For even the day before, she broke her brow,
And then my husband — God be with his soul,
A' was a merry man — took up the child.
'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit,
Wilt thou not, Jule?' and by my holidam,
The pretty wretch left crying and said 'Ay.'
To see now how a jest shall come about.
I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,
I never should forget it. 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he,
And, pretty fool, it stinted and said 'Ay.'