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Bottom

Monsieur Cobweb, good monsieur, get you your
weapons in your hand and kill me a red-hipped bumble-bee
on the top of a thistle; and, good monsieur, 
bring me the honeybag. Do not fret yourself too much in the
action, monsieur; and, good monsieur, have a care 
the honeybag break not. I would be loath to have you
overflown with a honeybag, signor.

Bottom

acquaintance too — Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Mustardseed

Mustardseed.

Bottom

Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience
well. That same cowardly giantlike ox-beef hath
devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise
you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I
desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

Bottom

acquaintance too — Your name, I beseech you, sir?

Mustardseed

Mustardseed.

Bottom

Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience
well. That same cowardly giantlike ox-beef hath
devoured many a gentleman of your house. I promise
you, your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I
desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.

Bottom

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.
[Sings]
The ousel cock so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill;
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill.

Bottom

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.
[Sings]
The ousel cock so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill;
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill.
[The Fairy Queen Titania has been asleep on the edge of the stage since Oberon placed the love potion on her eyelids in the prior scene. She now wakes up and sees Bottom with the ass's head.]

Titania

[Waking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

Bottom

[Sings]
The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plainsong cuckoo grey,
Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer “Nay” —
[Speaks to himself]
For indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?
Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry “cuckoo”
never so?

Quince

your part at once, cues and all. — Pyramus, enter. Your
cue is past; it is “never tire.”

Flute

O!
[As Thisbe]
As true as truest horse that yet would never tire.
[Enter Robin and Bottom, whose head has been transformed by Robin into that of an ass. He recites his line as he comes around the hedge.]

Bottom (as Pyramus)

If I were fair, Thisbe, I were only thine.

Quince

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

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