Shakespeare & The Dragon

Chapter 9

As the family ate together, breaking their fast, Gilbert was obviously sleepy.

Later, when John and his sons went to work, Gilbert yawned even more.

As they worked, Shakespeare could sense that John was irritated by Gilbert's drowsiness. Shakespeare knew that John would not permit such inattention in the workshop—not when it came to handling sharp tools, and working with such delicate precision.

Shakespeare gave his brother a glance, to warn him to wake up now. Gilbert ignored him.

When he yawned again, John said, "Gilbert, if you are not awake, then perhaps some time in the tanyard will do you some good. The smell will wake you up."

In the past, Shakespeare had been punished by working alone in the tanyard. The smell of animal flesh and hides, and the stench of urine and excrement, was hard to take. But it had been many years since Shakespeare had been punished like that. Gilbert, however, never ceased to be a problem. He was sent to the tanyard with some frequency.

Shakespeare saw the anger in Gilbert's face. He hoped that his brother would not talk back to John.

Gilbert did not move. He obviously did not want to go, "I am just tired, that's all."

John put down his tools, and turned around to look at Gilbert, "You sleep too much, that is why you are dozy now. That is why you are tired all the time."

Gilbert was usually the very last person in the entire house to wake up in the morning. Everyone knew it, and he could not deny it. Sometimes Shakespeare thought that Gilbert made sure to be the last one awake, out of some sort of perverse defiance, or some sort of pride.

Shakespeare and John were usually the very first to wake up. They often slept only five hours a night, or less. They usually sat down to work as early as two or three o'clock in the morning. It was not uncommon for people to divide their nighttime rest into two halves—known as first sleep and second sleep. Shakespeare and his father rarely went back to bed a second time. They did take the occasional short nap, after the family's noonday meal.

Richard and Edmund usually slept not much longer, and would arrive at the glove workshop, around four o'clock in the morning.

Anne and Joan usually did not divide their sleep. They slept as long as they wanted. They had far more duties and work than the men, and they had to look after the children. But they still never slept more than seven hours. Mary often slept the most, and required more rest. However, even though she was always seated, she worked as hard as everyone else.

Gilbert frequently slept almost seven hours each night, almost as much as the children.

John said now, "You are not making enough gloves. You are falling behind."

Gilbert shook his head, "I am tired because of all this work. I could get much more done, if you didn't keep giving me so much to do!"

Richard and Edmund giggled at this silly excuse. Shakespeare shook his head, to keep them quiet.

To their surprise, John did not raise his voice. He said calmly, "Gilbert, you are not a boy, you are a man. A man should not sleep for more than six hours."

Everyone knew that it was customary for men to sleep six hours, for women to sleep seven hours—and that only fools slept for eight hours or more.

Gilbert took offense to what John was suggesting. He stood up, "I am no fool, father!"

John did not raise his voice, "I did not say that you were, Gilbert. But as a man, from now on, you must wake up earlier, with Richard and Edmund. That will give you the time to do your work."