A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Brief Story)
In a magical forest near Athens, four young people get lost in a mix-up of love. Hermia loves Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena
loves Demetrius, but he ignores her. To escape the rules, Hermia and
Lysander run into the forest. Demetrius follows them, and Helena chases after
Demetrius. Meanwhile, a group of funny workers practice a silly play to perform
at the wedding of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta.
In the same forest, the fairy king Oberon and queen Titania are
arguing. To teach Titania a lesson, Oberon asks his playful servant Puck to
find a magical flower. The flower’s juice makes people fall in love with the
first person they see. Oberon wants to use it on Titania, but he also tells
Puck to help Helena by making Demetrius love her.
Puck makes mistakes! He puts the magic juice on Lysander’s
eyes instead of Demetrius’s.
When Lysander wakes up, he sees Helena and falls in love with her, forgetting
Hermia. Then Puck uses the juice on Demetrius, who also falls for
Helena. Now both men love Helena, and poor Hermia is left
confused and sad. Helena thinks everyone is mocking her. The four friends argue
wildly, while Puck laughs at the chaos.
Meanwhile, Oberon uses the magic flower on Titania. She wakes up and falls
in love with Bottom, one of the silly workers, whose head Puck has
turned into a donkey’s! Titania treats Bottom like a king, while her
fairy servants giggle at the ridiculous scene.
Finally, Oberon feels sorry for the trouble. He fixes the magic: he makes
Titania normal again and fixes Lysander’s love for Hermia. Demetrius stays in
love with Helena, thanks to the magic. The four young people wake up thinking
it was all a strange dream. The workers perform their funny play at the Duke’s
wedding, and everyone laughs at their mistakes.
In the end, the Duke allows Hermia to marry
Lysander, and Demetrius marries Helena. The
fairies bless the couples, and peace returns to the forest. The story reminds
us that love can be confusing and funny, but with a little magic, everything
can work out happily.
*****
