The weekly Butte record., 1863-01-24
Tanning a Shrew.

| he origin oil ShakSpeares S idea Tor MS
drama Of the " Tanning of Shrew," is to be
found in an old Spanish chronicle, transla-
ton of which now present to your readers:
In a certain town there was Moor of great
respectabiIity, who had son, the best young
man in the world, full of great projects, but so
poor that he had the will but not the power to
execute them. Ia the same place there was
another Moor very rich, and he had an only
daughter, but she was a devil, and nobody
would marry her. The young man came one
day to his father and said " Father, | am
weary of the poor and wretched life lead-I
wish to marry" The father said he should be
delighted ii his son should find a party that
suited him. Upon which the young man
named his neighbor's daughter On hearing
this the father was much surprised but the
son persisted in desiring his father to speak to
the Moor who was his intimate friend, and ask
him for his daughter. The Moor said, when
he was applied to, that he had no objection
but that whoever had his daughter would be
better dead than alive. The wedding day,
however was fixed, and the bride was led away
TO her husbands house, and, according to the
Moorish custom, supper was prepared, and
the fathers and mothers left the bride and
bridegroom together till the next day. not
without great fear and suspicion that they
should fad the bridegroom in the morning
Loo n f,r :. a.
gone the new married couple sat down at the
table, and before she could speak, he, looking
about him, saw one of his house dogs, and
calling to him with loud voice, ordered him
to bring water TO wash bis hands, which the
dog not doing, he got up in a rage and drew
his sword this the dog seeing, ran away, and
he after him, till he caught him and cut off his
head and legs. and his body in pieces, and
dashed his blood over the table, aud all over
the room; then be came aud seated himself at
the table. lie looked round again, and saw a
Maltese beagle, and gave him the same order
but on his not complying he first threatened
TO serve him as be had the mastif: then
legs and cut him into hundred pieces-then
he returned second time to the table making
horrid faces and staring wildly around him.
The bride, who was an eyewitness of all this
was beside herself with fear, and stupid being
unable to utter syllable He then swore he
would serve every living creature in the same
DDf bfS lor-,
the only one remaining to him; then having
killed his horse he came back to the table
with his sword reeking in blood, aud seeing
no other animal to kill, turned his ewes on his
wife, and cried with furious tone of voice
Get up and bring me water to wash my
hands !" She Immediately arose and brought
him water. Then he said. " If you had not
done It, | would have served you as I served
the dogs and the horse He then ordered her
TO help him, which she did, but with horri-
fed aspect, as If she expected 10 have her head
cut of In this manner they passed the night
together, and she never spoke and when thew
had slept some little while he said to his wife
have not been able to rest for rage tonight.
See that nobody disturb me tomorrow morn
ing. and take care that have a good break
fast" Early in the morning the parents of
the bride and Bridegroom knocked at the door
and as 10 one answered they concluded that
their bridegroom was either killed or wounded.
and when the bride came 70 the door without
her husband, they were confirmed in their sus.
picions. As soon as she saw them. she began
TO call them traitors, ana asked them how they
dared 10 come to the door without speaking.
Make 10 noise, or you are all dead men"
This astonished them still more, and when they
knew how the night had been spent, they
thought very highly Of the young man for his
great skill in governing his wife, and arrang-
ing his household; and from that day forward
she w's - well managed that he lived perfect
iy well with her; and The father in law took
hln' from h's son, and killed a horse to keep
s, =,