To this proposal Hermia joyfully agreed; and she told no one of her
intended flight but her friend Helena. Helena (as maidens will do
foolish things for love) very ungenerously resolved to go and tell
this to Demetrius, though she could hope no benefit from betraying
her friend's secret, but the poor pleasure of following her faithless
lover to the wood; for she well knew that Demetrius would go thither
in pursuit of Hermia.

The wood, in which Lysander and Hermia proposed to meet, was the
favourite haunt of those little beings known by the name of _Fairies_.

Oberon the king, and Titania the queen, of the Fairies, with all their
tiny train of followers, in this wood held their midnight revels.

Between this little king and queen of sprites there happened, at this
time, a sad disagreement: they never met by moonlight in the shady
walks of this pleasant wood, but they were quarrelling, till all their
fairy elves would creep into acorn-cups and hide themselves for fear.

The cause of this unhappy disagreement was Titania's refusing to
give Oberon a little changeling boy, whose mother had been Titania's
friend: and upon her death the fairy queen stole the child from its
nurse, and brought him up in the woods.

The night on which the lovers were to meet in this wood, as Titania
was walking with some of her maids of honour, she met Oberon attended
by his train of fairy courtiers.

"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania," said the fairy king. The queen