Katharine Ernaly awoke and wriggled her toes underneath the scratchy sheet, trying to find a part of bed her body had not yet warmed. Droplets of sweat pricked her face and she turned away from the fire. The golden hollow in the middle of the living quarters was the only source of both heat and light and was kept alive even in the sticky summer months. Kate peered over to the other side of the room. Her father was no longer in his bed and the thin layer of cloth once covering him was mussed. The smell of pottage reached her nose as Kate walked towards the food. She took her knife and wooden plate from the basket in the corner and tore off a hunk of coarse bread from the loaf in the basket. She heaped the thick, grainy vegetable mush on to her plate and ate silently.
Day had broken by the time Kate stepped outside into the September air. The small town was silent. The air was heavy. Knowing her father wouldn’t be home until well into the lazy afternoon, Kate decided she needed some adventure! She slipped behind her family’s cottage at the edge of the town. Kate ran into the large grassy field. There was just shy a league between the town and the nearest farm, and even though the field belonged to the farm, and therefore the lord in the manor, no one used the field except feather-headed, sixteen-year old Kate.
Barefoot and with her long strawberry hair tumbling down her back, Kate ran up the hill that separated the town from the farms belonging to the manor. The long grass whipped up and stung her legs. The warm summer wind blew her hair into her face and mouth, but Kate didn’t care. Just as she was about to reach the top of the hill, the running stopped and Kate let herself fall backward. Kate was flying. Her heart soared and a smile made a home on her lips. She hadn’t done this in months, but she felt like she had never stopped. As soon as Kate reached the bottom, up she got and ran towards the top. She was about to arrive at the zenith when, again, she let herself fall. She aerialed and somersaulted all the way down her childhood pastime and ended on her back, eyes searching the sky for something to steady her dizzy head. Katharine closed her eyes and let her mind wander.
In her daydream, she was sitting in the castle with the entire court; drinking fine wines and eating rabbit stew and wheat bread. Kate was placed next to young Henry, who would become King in the coming months. Kate imagined leaning over and stroking his cheek. Kate doubted she would ever want to flirt with her soon-to-be husband, as her father was determined to marry her to Johnson the baker’s son. But in her reverie, Kate was no longer plain Kate, but the first girl tumbler; a performer in the royal troupe! She could flirt with Henry if she wished. She envisioned the Duchess of Gloucester leaning over and smoothing her hair, which had been tied up into a womanly knot. Duchess Eleanor didn’t have any children, and Kate’s mother had died in childbirth. If only Kate could marry Prince Henry and Duchess Eleanor could fill the motherly position Kate so yearned for. If only girls could become performers. If only…
Kate was brought suddenly back to the present by a loud whistle. She sat up and looked around. Instinctively, her jaw clenched. The air was once again silent. When Kate was sure the coast was clear, she hopped up and hurried towards the market to investigate the source of the commotion.
“COME ALL TO THE MAGNIFICENT TROUPE! WE’VE GOT MUSCISIANS AND YOUR FAVORITE INTERLUDES!” the call echoed around the small town. Little bubbles of excitement tickled Kate’s belly as she quickened her pace.
As Kate approached the open square, she looked around at all of the faces, trying to find her father before he found her. She slipped into the crowd that had formed around the performers, still searching. Gelsey Smithson, the midwife who delivered her and a good confidant, noticed her, despite Kate’s efforts to hide herself.
“Katharine, what would your father do if he knew you had come to an interlude?” she asked.
“Oh, he would be furious, but only if he knows,” Kate replied with a sly smile. Gelsey’s eyes twinkled.
“I haven’t seen him in the mung, but be careful. Now go get you up close and see that tumbler,” Gelsey nudged Katharine towards the small wagon at the center of the market. With an about face, Kate made her way through the jumbling throng. A burly man stood in front of the colorful wagon.
“Now I, meself, am God. An’ this maiden be old queen Katherine. To-day, we will be tellin’ the story of St. John the ‘airy. Now let the players start whilst I, God, o’ersee the affair,” he proclaimed.
Two boys appeared, one of whom was young, perhaps Kate’s age, and dressed in a long yellow and pink gown. The other was praying on the floor, mumbling, “Oh God! God, your great self hath forgiven me! I shall, as your loyal servant, be ever in service to you. Thanks, thanks.” St. John the Hairy was a story told to Kate by her father many times when she was little, and Kate knew what would come next. Queen Mary appeared behind the kneeling St. John.
“Rise, young sir. God shall spare thee. While thou hast spoiled thy young heart, God is forgiving. Thou hast indeed shown great courage. And we praise thee,” Mary comforted. She then raised St. John up and lifted him into God’s arms. God carried him behind the wagon and the interlude was concluded. As the actors came out to bow, Kate remembered that no one was actually a girl, but young men with wigs and red wax on their lips.
“Why must we have no privileges? I can’t believe God, the real one, would rather have a men dressed as girls than girls perform themselves!” Kate spoke out to no one in particular.
The big man stepped forward and yelled “who would like to see a tumbling act?” the townspeople twittered and Big Man continued, “A tumbling act that, I assure you, will cause you to believe young James here can fly!”
“That’s impossible!” someone from the crowd called out, followed by many cries of agreement from the rowdy throng. James stepped out from behind the wagon and onto the small platform. He was the same boy who was the princess, only his dress had been replaced with boys’ clothes and his normal mousy hair was visible. An old fellow started plucking his lute while another beat out a rhythm on a tambourine. James ran across the platform and the little excitement bubbles returned to Kate’s stomach. He kicked himself over and stayed balanced upside down for a minute or two before propelling himself back onto his feet. James smiled at his audience while preparing for the next trick. He flipped and twisted all over the small stage. As he stood up after his last trick, his eye caught Kate’s and nervous energy trickled down her spine. In that split second, Kate knew what she wanted to do. She had to join this troupe.
The performance finished and the crowd was starting to disperse. By then, it was late afternoon and the sun drooped low in the sky. Kate scanned the dispersing crowd for a glimpse of anyone who would get her in trouble, and, upon finding no one hazardous, approached the troupe and wagon.
“Excuse me,” Kate articulated softly. “I am Katharine Ernaly and I was wonderi-”
“What?” barked Big Man, “What do you want?”
Kate took a deep breath before continuing, “You don’t need another tumbler? Most traveling troupes have two. You only have James.”
She stared eagerly up at Big Man, for Kate didn’t know his name and needed to call him something.
“I hope you don’t mean yourself, little maid. Only boy performers allowed. God and the King’s rules.” Kate felt her heart sink slowly down into the pit of her stomach. Big Man turned and started barking orders at the troupe when Kate opened her mouth, then closed it. Tears stung her eyes as she turned and walked back towards her house. Kate passed her father’s tailor shop and saw her father working peacefully through the small, dirty window. An idea rose to the surface of her mind as she saw the multitude of tunics sitting in the shop.
She crept in through the back hatch of her father’s shop. Her father was in the front room, only feet away from Kate. She snuck over to the trunk of extra clothes in the corner, being careful not to tread on anything. Kate opened the trunk and pulled out the first things that she could grab. Just as she was about to leave, she seized two long pieces of fabric from a pile by the back hatch. A wave of fear swept over her as she made her escape. Kate ran towards the hill as fast as she could. The sun was starting to set and the church was illuminated by the light. Kate quickly undressed and bound her chest. She pulled on the new clothes and rolled up the headscarf, pushing it under her tights. Quickly, so she could not think twice, Kate made her final transformation—her reddish hair lay piled on the ground as she ran back into town.
Nerves hit harder than ever as she crept silently through the streets. The church was on the very east side of the hamlet, while Kate lived on the west. So many people could be watching, Kate thought.
“Johnson, where do you think you are going?” A voice called out from behind her. Kate’s heart sank. Just as she was about to turn, she heard fast footsteps and a door swing shut. Silence. Kate unfroze and looked around. Old John must have been talking to his son and hadn’t seen her. Kate unclenched her jaw and breathed for the first time in what felt like hours. Like a stray dog, Kate scurried to the large white building and slipped around the back to the large traveling wagon. Big Man came around the side of the wagon.
“An’ I s’pose you’d be wantin’ to join, ay?” he asked. Kate nodded. “Well, they call me Will. What can you do?” he asked gruffly.
“Ay…I can…May I show you?” Kate asked desperately. Will grunted and Kate took it as approval. She flung herself to the ground and pushed her arms onto the dirt to twist upward. As soon as landed, Kate sprung into a somersault in the air and came to rest gently on her toes. Kate held her breath and felt her jaw clench again as she awaited Will’s answer.
“Ay, I s’pose we could use you. James, get o’er ‘ere and meet yer new partner,” Will retorted. James scurried over. His hair was still lopsided.
“It is good to know you. I’m James.” He stuck out his arm and Kate grabbed it firmly, determined to prove her manliness.
“You get settled with James now, ay?” Will said as he thumped James’ back and waddled off to the back of the wagon.
“Have you any stomach?” James asked. Kate realized that she hadn’t eaten since her morning pottage. Nodding, Kate followed James led her over to a fire pit and a huge pot of lamb stew. The smell tickled Kate’s nose. An overwhelming excitement took her over. “What did you say your name was, sweet peasant?” James turned to face Kate. She was indeed a lowly jack in her musty clothes.
“Jack. My name is Jack,” Kate replied with an inner smile at her wittiness.
“Well Jack, welcome to our troupe.”