The next morning just before daylight Mom came into the bedroom and told me to get up. She woke Big Billy up and said, “Billy, I am going to do the washing today so get your belongings out of your pockets and I will wash your clothes too.” Then she said, “Here is a pair of Charlie’s old overalls you can put on until yours gets dry.”
Big Billy began to get up and before I could get on my clothes Billy looked at me and said, “Well I guess you will be hearing some more about old Shakespeare today.” I said, “Well I hope not, I have already heard too much about him..”
I never will forget that morning. Big Billy was setting on the bed across from me and all he had on was his underwear. He was smoking a cigarette and he was teasing me about old Shakespeare. I was putting my clothes on as fast as I could. He could tell that I did not like hearing about Shakespeare. He was having fun out of me. But to me, it was not fun at all.
I can remember big Billy telling me, “Now Tony, you got it made. You get to go to school and look at all the good-looking girls. Why, you get to go out on the playground at recess and play with the boys and girls. After all that, you get to go back in your room and study math, spelling and old Shakespeare.
I never will forget that morning. Big Billy was setting on the bed across from me and all he had on was his underwear. He was smoking a cigarette and he was teasing me about old Shakespeare. I was putting my clothes on as fast as I could. He could tell that I did not like hearing about Shakespeare. He was having fun out of me. But to me, it was not fun at all.
I can remember big Billy telling me, “Now Tony, you got it made. You get to go to school and look at all the good-looking girls. Why, you get to go out on the playground at recess and play with the boys and girls. After all that, you get to go back in your room and study math, spelling and old Shakespeare.
What about poor old me? All I get to do all day is go hunting, and kill them poor little squirrels. I have to go way out in the woods. Why, I am going to have a bad time doing all I got to do today.” I could tell Big Billy was enjoying teasing me. He knew I wanted to go hunting.
Part 4 Questions
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How did Billy think Tony had it made in school?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Poor Billy had to do what? ____________________
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Look up William Shakespeare and tell who he was. When he lived and the names of some of the things he wrote._______________———————————————_______________________________________
Tony Smith:Stories from Red Hill, Livingston, Kentucky 
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