0:00:21 > 0:00:25This story belongs to Asher and his Grandad Harvey.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38It's a tiny tale about how children just like you
0:00:38 > 0:00:41lived in the olden days, over 400 years ago.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Oh, good shot! I only just got that one.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Now it's time for Asher and Grandad Harvey
0:00:49 > 0:00:51to go on a journey of discovery.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Together they're going to find out
0:00:53 > 0:00:56what life was like, all those years ago.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Hey, Asher, look what I found.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59What is it?
0:00:59 > 0:01:03It's a little trinket box with a tooth fairy on the top
0:01:03 > 0:01:06and it's where people put a tooth when it falls out.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And some people believe that the tooth fairy comes along,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12takes the tooth and leaves behind a present.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Do you believe in fairies, Grandad?
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Of course I do. Do you?
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- Yes.- Does the tooth fairy ever come to you?
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Yes, I put the tooth under my pillow and I got one pounds.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Wow. Well, fairies have been around a long time, Asher.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I know a story about a boy named William,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34who lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, just like us -
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and he believed in fairies.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39But it was 400 years ago
0:01:39 > 0:01:41and it was called Elizabethan times.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44What does "Elizabethan" mean?
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Well, it's a length of time where people were named after
0:01:48 > 0:01:51the King or Queen who was in charge of the country.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55So the Elizabethans were named after their Queen, Elizabeth.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It was a very long time ago.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59What was it like back then?
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Well, would you like to find out more about William and Elizabethans?
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Yes, please.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10I think the first thing we should do is dress up in Elizabethan clothes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11Awesome!
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Do you like these olden day clothes, Asher?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Not really. - What's different about them?
0:02:19 > 0:02:23They've got jackets, ruffs, hats...
0:02:23 > 0:02:26How would you like to wear them all the time,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29like William and the Elizabethans?
0:02:29 > 0:02:30No!
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Well, at least we can try and look like important Elizabethan people.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Wow. Just look at Asher and Grandad Harvey,
0:02:39 > 0:02:44all dressed up in clothes just like the Elizabethans would have worn
0:02:44 > 0:02:45all those years ago.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49They're both wearing short trousers called breeches.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Their jackets are called doublets
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and their fancy collar is called a ruff -
0:02:54 > 0:02:58it's there to stop the doublet from getting dirty.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Now Asher and Grandad Harvey look ready for their big adventure.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06But where will they go?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12This pretty house belonged to William's mummy.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14It's called Mary Arden's Farm.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16It's a living history museum,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20where people dress up and pretend to be Elizabethans.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Such wonderful flowers in front of this house, Asher and, um...
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- Oh, look down there. What do you think that is?- A tiny door.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Yes, it's a little door for the fairies.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- They have to go in for their dinner. - Really?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Shall we go and find out?- Yes.- Yeah.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Asher, this is a very special plate.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Do you know who it's for?
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Fairies.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Can you tell me what's on it? What do you think that is?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- Cakes and treats. - Yes! And in the shell?
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Water for them to bathe in.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Yes, because of all the soot in the chimney.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58And do you know, the Elizabethans would put a meal on the plate
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and they would leave it by the fire, last thing at night?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And they hoped that the fairies would enjoy their treats so much
0:04:06 > 0:04:10that they would help them light the fire in the morning.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- Shall we put the plate down by the fire?- Yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Like William would have done in Elizabethan times...
0:04:16 > 0:04:20and hope that the fairies will help them light the fire in the morning.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Fire was very important in the olden days,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25because it would heat houses.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27And people would use fire to cook their meals.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Every night, a bell would ring in towns
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and that was a signal to tell people
0:04:33 > 0:04:35it was time to put out the fires.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38This was to stop houses burning down.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51I wonder what kind of games William and his friends played, back then?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53CHEERING
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Here's Asher and some friends.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Together, they're going to try some Elizabethan games.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Asher, Ewan and Harry are being shown how to play a game
0:05:05 > 0:05:07called frog flinging.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Don't worry, they are not real frogs.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14You place a toy frog on the seesaw and stamp on the other end
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and that makes the frog fly through the air.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Just like that. Then you mark when your frog lands
0:05:23 > 0:05:28and the person whose frog flies the furthest is the winner.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Annabel and Molly are playing a game called quoits
0:05:31 > 0:05:36and they have to try and throw the rope rings around the wooden pegs.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Takes a lot of skill. Do you think you can do it?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Elizabethan games look like a lot of fun.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Asher and Grandad Harvey have been invited to a banquet,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00which is a special dinner by people at the museum
0:06:00 > 0:06:03so they can try some Elizabethan food.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05The food looks really colourful.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Elizabethans loved to show off their food
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and impress their guests with fancy-looking dishes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16They even ate the real flowers from the decorations.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Elizabethans always started their meal with pottage
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and it was like a big, hearty soup.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Now, our pottage has got carrots...
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- Do you like carrots?- Yeah.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32..and parsnips
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and it has some squash in it.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Yeah, squash.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Is it good, Asher?- Yes.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50I think I'm going to give you the choice of which dish you try next.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51I choose tart.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54You would like to try some cheese tart?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56There we go, Asher - you try that.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03And then I'll find out whether I want some or not.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- It's nice.- Oh, good. - It's good, is it?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Asher seems to like Elizabethan food.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26- Asher, shall I tell you some more about young William?- Yes, please.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Well, when he grew up, he became an actor
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and he travelled all over the country, acting in plays.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And he also had another job -
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and that is, he was a writer.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Did he write books? Because I like reading books.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44I know you did, but mostly, he wrote plays for the theatre.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Some of them were sad and some of them were happy
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and some of them even had fairies in.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54And his full name was William Shakespeare.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- Have you heard of him?- Yes. - How have you heard of him?
0:07:57 > 0:08:02I went to see one of his plays, called Midsummer Night's Dream.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06So you did. And he was very famous and he's still famous now.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10And he came from our town, Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12- Aren't we lucky?- Yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27The Elizabethans loved to be entertained.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But they didn't have TVs or computers, like us.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Instead, they had actors, who put on plays.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37In the olden days, actors - called travelling players -
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- would visit villages and towns, performing plays.- Champion!
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Asher, Grandad Harvey and some friends are watching people
0:08:45 > 0:08:49pretending to be travelling players, putting on a play.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52They all seem to be having a great time.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05The Elizabethans built Britain's first ever theatres.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07This is the Globe Theatre in London.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11It looks exactly like an Elizabethan theatre.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It's a very special place,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18because it teaches people about William Shakespeare and his plays.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20The theatre doesn't have a roof,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24as the Elizabethans didn't have any lights, like we do.
0:09:24 > 0:09:30So people went to the theatre in the afternoon to watch William's plays.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Asher, nowadays theatres have all sorts of fancy things -
0:09:46 > 0:09:50like loud music and sound effects and smart costumes.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53But in the olden days, they didn't have any of that,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57so they had to have musicians to make their sound effects.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Shall we make some music, like in the olden days theatres?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- Yes, please.- Let's try men marching.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I'll go first.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09GRANDAD HARVEY DRUMS
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Can you do that?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14BOTH DRUM
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Now we're going to do thunder.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19GRANDAD HARVEY DRUMS
0:10:20 > 0:10:22ASHER DRUMS
0:10:22 > 0:10:24BOTH DRUM
0:10:24 > 0:10:27What do you think this sound is?
0:10:27 > 0:10:29BELLS TINKLE
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- Rain!- Yes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Can you make some rain?
0:10:34 > 0:10:36BELLS TINKLE
0:10:36 > 0:10:37That's right.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Now what about this one?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42BELLS JINGLE
0:10:42 > 0:10:43- Fairies!- Yes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Would you like to do the fairy sound?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48BELLS JINGLE
0:10:48 > 0:10:50That's right, well done.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52I love making sounds for the theatre.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Come on, then! THEY DRUM
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Grandad Harvey has brought Asher
0:11:09 > 0:11:12to see where William Shakespeare was born
0:11:12 > 0:11:16and they're going to meet some actors.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19This is Victoria and Neil - the actors who work here.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Hi, Asher. We're going to perform one of William's plays.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Grandad Harvey, will you play the music?- Oh, yes.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31And Asher, would you like to go with Victoria and help us act out a play?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- Yes, please.- Well, let's go!
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- Those be rubies, fairy favours - - GRANDAD DRUMS
0:11:41 > 0:11:44in those freckles live their savours.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I must go seek some dewdrops here
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Farewell, thou lob of spirits.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I'll be gone.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Our Queen and all our elves come here anon.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00BELLS JINGLE
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Asher, have you had a good time being an Elizabethan?
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Yes, I liked hearing about William and the olden days.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Yes, and you can you remember all the things that we've done?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27We got dressed up like Elizabethans
0:12:27 > 0:12:29and we looked really cool.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We went to visit a living history museum
0:12:32 > 0:12:34and we fed the fire fairies...
0:12:34 > 0:12:37..will help them light the fire in the morning.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41I played some Elizabethan games and it was fun.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45We watched people pretending to be travelling players.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47They made us laugh.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49LAUGHTER
0:12:49 > 0:12:53We beat the drums to make different sound effects for the theatre.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57We helped some actors perform a piece of William's play.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01You did the music and sound effects
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and I was an actor.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06And what was your favourite thing?
0:13:06 > 0:13:07The banquet.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- Is it good, Asher?- Yes.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13What was yours?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Well, I just like being here with you.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And I've got a very special present -
0:13:19 > 0:13:22it's the little trinket box.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24So if one of your teeth comes out,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28you can put in there and remember William Shakespeare
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and the Elizabethans and the fairies.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32Thank you!
0:13:34 > 0:13:36What a fabulous heap of fun.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40That was Asher and Grandad Harvey's tiny tale about being a child
0:13:40 > 0:13:43during Elizabethan times, over 400 years ago.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Now Grandad Harvey has shared his story with Asher,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50it's time for Asher to start his very own story.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Do you know someone with a story to share?