Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:54:24 +0200
From: A.K. <andrej@andrejkoymasky.com>
Subject: The Strolling Players 01/18 (historical)

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THE STROLLING PLAYERS
by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2008
written on June 3, 1992
translated by the author
English text kindly revised by The Australian

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USUAL DISCLAIMER

"THE STROLLING PLAYERS" is a gay story, with some parts containing
graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion,
family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better
not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't
care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my
welcomed guest.

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CHAPTER 1 - Vance becomes an... actress

One more day of thin and incessant rain.

Vance Elton loaded the bundle of hay on his shoulders and went towards
his mother's hut. He was in a bad mood. If only his mother would be
grateful to him for all the work he did, even while his brothers were
taking a rest! It wasn't his fault if he was an illegitimate son, he
didn't ask for that, and yet everybody seemed to be upset with him.
Vance the Bastard! The stigma was sticking to him like a sore, like a
leech, and it seemed he could not get rid of it.

Sixteen years before, his mother had been raped by the Count's son. When
he saw she was pregnant her husband deserted her. Somebody had
insinuated that the woman gave herself willingly to the young Count and
this was the reason why her husband had left her. So now, his mother and
his brothers were upset with him. It wasn't fair!

He unloaded the hay spreading it under the 'lean to' and went again to
get another load. He was about to leave the road and enter the field,
when he saw a strange wagon pulled by two lean horses coming toward him.
The wagon was painted in bright colours and something was written on it.
Vance wasn't able to read, but knew that it was writing. On the driver's
seat was a man of about twenty-five, all wrapped in a sort of cloak with
the hood hauled down to his eyes. He was spurring the horses, which were
wearily pulling the wagon. The two animals seemed exhausted by the
effort.

It creaking passed in front of him. Huddled to the man was another
smaller figure, so swaddled was the form, that it seem more a bundle of
rags than a human being. On the back of the wagon were sitting two more
people, their legs dangling and moving at each jolt of the wagon on the
uneven road, so that they seemed like a puppets' inarticulate legs. The
wagon trundled on towards the village.

Vance went into the fields, gathered some more wet hay, filling his
cloth whose corners he tied together, and that put on his shoulders,
then went back towards the hut. While he was unloading it, he saw that
the wagon had stopped just a little farther on in front of the Unicorn
Inn. Vance pushed away his dripping hair from his eyes and looked with
curiosity. "Who can those people in that weird wagon be?" he asked
himself.

His mother called him from the hut's door, "Vance, you've to get some
water! Hurry up!"

The boy nodded, lowered the bundle, went home to get the bucket then
went to the well at the side of the Inn. Nobody remained in the wagon.
They surely were in the Inn, possibly to have a drink. While he was
drawing water, the daughter of the Innkeeper came to the well.

"Hey, Meg, who are the foreigners who just arrived?"

"Strolling players. They will stop here for a couple days. If the rain
stops, they will do a show."

The boy looked at the multi coloured wagon and nodded in assent. He
should have guessed they were actors, he heard talk about them from the
old people. He hoped the rain would stop, he would like to see a show.
He looked towards the sky, but everything was of a uniform grey, and the
rain continued falling, drizzling and annoying, but it was still
morning, so there was a chance it could stop raining before evening.

The day passed, slow and grey just like all the others. Just before
darkness, the rain ceased. . One of the men from the wagon toured the
whole village, beating a drum announcing the evening show. It was the
story of King Richard Lion Heart. The other three actors were already
opening one of the wagon's sides to stage the show.

When the show started, by the light of lanterns and torch beacons, Vance
was in the first row. The ground was wet, so all the audience had to
stand up. Dampness impregnated the air and it was rather cold, but Vance
was totally engrossed in the show that was unveiling before his eyes.
The actors were speaking with stentorian voices. Vance at once caught
the characters. One was the good man (King Richard), another the bad man
(John of Locksley), another the comic actor (the squire), and the fourth
one was often changing clothes for his part in secondary roles. Vance
felt at once that he sided with the good King Richard, as most of the
audience had.

When the performance was over, one of the actors went round with a
basket to gather the villagers' offerings of a few coins with more
offering "gifts of kind". When the actor passed in front of Vance, the
boy felt embarrassed. He had nothing to give and opened his arm in a
disconsolate manner. The actor, who was the one who played King Richard,
the man who was sitting in the driving seat and leading the horses,
smiled, made him a wink and passed by. Then the show for the following
evening was announced. It was to be the story of the Holy Bishop, Thomas
‡ Becket, killed in Canterbury.

Vance intended to go again to see the show, but this time he wanted to
bring something to give to them. He thought about it all the following
day. He didn't have coins. He couldn't steal some food from home, as his
mother would notice the loss and would skin him alive. He then thought
about his hidden treasure. He went to the field, checked that nobody was
watching, and moved some stones away from the low boundary wall and took
out a small bundle. There was the bone handle of a knife, the bent tip
of an arrow and a metal button he had found on the road. He thought that
surely the actors wouldn't appreciate any of these objects. He
re-secured his bundle, thinking that he should climb some trees looking
for eggs. He started his quest and when he had gathered enough of them,
stopped, satisfied. He wrapped them with leaves and tied them with a
thin reed.

That night, after the show, when the actor passed in front of him, he
recognizing him and was about to pass by without raising his basket.
Vance seized his sleeve and gave him the leaved parcel.

The man looked at him, smiled and asked, "What are you giving me?"

"Eggs. I gathered them from the tree nests. I've nothing else."

"Good. Did you enjoy the show?"

"Oh yes, a lot. You all are skilled, you more than the others."

"Yes, I'm the lead actor."

"Is it difficult being an actor?"

"No, you just need talent. Why do you ask?"

"Bah... just so."

"Would you like to becoming an actor?"

"I never thought of it, but... will you take me with you?"

"Let me end the tour, then come to the wagon and we will talk about it."

Vance pondered the idea. On one hand the idea of leaving the village
seemed to him like a liberation, a solution to all his problems. Why
not? Becoming an actor, wearing all those wonderful costumes, touring
all the lands. On the other, would he be able, have talent, could he
learn?

The villagers were staring to flow out going back to their homes, while
the actors were folding the scenery and closing the wagon's side. Vance
then drew nearer. The one with whom he had talked, seeing him approach,
made him a gesture to draw nearer.

"I'm James, James Midwood, lead-actor. And you, boy, what's your name?"

"I'm Vance Elton."

"How old are you?"

"I have turned sixteen."

"And you would like becoming an actor."

"Well, I don't know... I think I would."

"The problem is that... if you were a girl we would at once take you at.
We are missing a woman as you saw. But you're a boy..."

"You don't need a boy?"

"No, there already is my brother Walt, who is twenty. He does the young
men's roles."

"So, you aren't going to take me with you?" Vance said crest-fallen. "I
hoped I could leave the village, come with you, becoming an actor,
touring the land..."

"You want to leave, boy? Why?"

"Here everybody teats me badly, because I am a bastard son."

James carefully looked at him up and down. Then said, "As I told you, we
need a girl. But you're still young and so, well disguised and with a
make up, you could also pass for a woman. If you feel like impersonating
a woman for us, I'll take you in my theatrical company."

"A woman, I? I don't know... would I be able?"

"I can teach you. You just have to carefully look at women, how they
speak, how they move, how they behave and imitate them. Your face is
still gentle enough to pass for a girl."

"I can try..."

"Good. Then come here tomorrow morning at dawn. We will leave to go to
the next village. But take care, we will not wait for you."

"I will not be late!"

"Alright, Vance, See you tomorrow, then."

The boy went back to his family's hut. He threw himself onto his straw
mattress but he wasn't able to asleep. He was thinking... he tried to
imagine himself there on the stage, dressed as a woman. Why not? He
could ape Meg, that little simpering daughter of the innkeeper, or the
old widow Stevens, or even his mother. But how to do to imitate a queen,
for instance? He had never seen a Lady of the castle, even from afar.
Just imagine a queen! Well... James could possibly teach him that.

Once in a while he dozed off but immediately jumped up, his eyes wide
open, to look out the small window fearing he'd slept too much, but
outside it still was dark.

As soon as he had the perception that the sky was starting to brighten,
he got up. Everybody was still sleeping around him. He noiselessly
stepped over one of his brothers, cautiously left the hut and reached
the chariot almost running. Everybody there seemed still asleep as well.
From outside he heard someone occasionally snoring. He leaned against
the Inn wall, keeping his arms tight around his body to attenuate the
cold dampness that was penetrating the poor clothes, which barely
covered his body.

Finally from inside the wagon came noises of somebody moving, then
drowsy voices. Vance drew away from the wall. At the back of the wagon a
small door opened and out came Walt who sensuously stretched himself for
a good while. When he saw Vance, he greeted him with a nod. The boy
answered with a bashful smile and drew near him. Meanwhile, James got
out of the wagon.

"Ahoy, boy, on time like the morning rooster. Good. Walt, this is Vance,
the boy I was telling you about."

"I guessed it. Alright, we just needed somebody playing the woman here
with us. Welcome to the peddler's actor wagon, Vance."

The remaining two men got out. Old Tod, a man about forty-five, who was
the comic actor, and Ray, the bad character, a man about thirty-five.
The two men greeted Vance. They all went to the field to empty
themselves, then scrabbled aboard the wagon and left. Vance sat on the
driver's bench, between the two brothers. He was happy and anxious at
the same time. He was leaving the village behind him, and with it his
humiliations, his grey and dull life, the nothing, while in front of him
was opening a new and colourful life, the future, the actor's job.

"But... will I be able to play the woman?" suddenly Vance asked.

Walt laughed, "Don't worry, we will teach you. Hey, James. We should
find him a woman's name. What about Peg? Peg Midwood?"

"No, it would be better Liz, or Lizzie."

"No, no... Clarice?" proposed Walt.

Vance laughed and suggested, "Ellie?"

"You like Ellie? Let it be Ellie, then. We will call you by that name.
Our little sister Ellie Midwood! Hey, Walt, we have to dress him up
before getting to the next village. Go inside the wagon an try to fix
him up properly."

"Why do I have to dress like a woman now? Wouldn't it be enough to do it
just before the show?" Vance asked, puzzled.

"No way! If people knew you weren't a woman, they could be angry.
Everybody has to think you are our little sister, Ellie Midwood.
Therefore you will dress like a woman, talk like a woman, do everything
exactly like a woman. So you will be even more convincing on the stage,
do you understand?" James said.

Vance nodded in agreement. James stopped the chariot and Walt and Vance
got inside. While the wagon resumed the journey, Walt searched in the
costume trunk for something suitable. He made the boy undress and had
him try on several women's garments.

When he was satisfied, he said, "There is the problem of your hair, it
isn't long enough. For the time being you will have to keep it hidden
under this piece of cloth tied on your head, like this ... then your
hair will grow longer and we will have no more problems. Are you already
shaving?"

"No, not yet."

"But, how old are you?"

"I turned sixteen."

"I had to start shaving at fifteen. Bah, so much the better, after all.
Try to turn around, now. Oh no, not like that, more gracefully. Look at
me, like this... see? Now try again... yes, it's a little better."

They continued training. Vance was very amused by it all. The wagon
stopped.

"Let's go out, Ellie, I want to show you to James and the others. Let's
see what they think of your transformation."

Vance got out of the chariot, feeling somewhat awkward. The other
actors, as they saw him, started to laugh and to clap their hands.

"Good, good, Ellie. Welcome then in our theatrical company!" James
exclaimed.

Ray slapped him on the arse and Vance got a start, surprised at his
actions.

Tod laughed, "You have to get used to it, if you have to pass for a
woman, but you ought to have a more feminine reaction. Try it. Give me a
slap on my arse, so I can show Vance how a woman would react."

"Ellie, not Vance, don't forget it!" Walt corrected him.

Tod and Ray enacted the scene. Vance burst into laughter then he tried
it. They had stopped in the open countryside. James made Vance practice
while Walt and Ray went off, returning some while later, loaded with
fruits and vegetables.

"Here is the unintentional contribution of our good countrymen. Today we
will have enough to eat. Hey, Ellie, are you a good cook?" Walt asked,
merrily.

"I? No..."

"You'll have to learn, then. From now on this will be one of your
duties. I'll teach you to do it. I'll make a good cook out of you."

Vance was amused and they resumed their travel. Vance was again sitting
between the two brothers on the driver's sear, in his woman's attire.
These clothes were covering his body better that his old, scanty and
worn out clothes, and he was feeling comfortable.

After a while James said, "No, Ellie, we will not have you pass for our
sister, but as my wife."

"Why not as my wife, then?" Walt artfully asked.

"Shut up, Walt. The chief here is me, so Ellis will be my wife. That's
an end of it!"

Vance was smiling, amused at the joke.

As they reached the new village, as usual they toured it to announce the
evening show. Then James, sitting inside the wagon with the others,
explained them the show plot, mainly for Vance's benefit. The boy would
do the part of King Dunn Scott's wife. Vance tried again and again,
following his companions' advice. At evening he helped them to set the
stage and the scenery.

He finally made his dŽbut. He was feeling incredibly excited, but as the
show went on, he gradually started feeling more self-assured, to play it
in a freer and easier way, as if he was becoming more involved in the
part. He started to become more natural, more real. At the end of the
show, Vance did the tour with the basket to gather the audience's
offerings. When he was back in the wagon, they saw that the boy's basked
was fuller than the others had been.

Walt said, "Of course, men give more willingly to a nice girl. They are
more generous."

Vance asked, "How did I do, on the stage?"

"Not bad, for your first time. You've talent, and next times it will go
even better. The village people swallowed it, and that is the important.
You, Ellie, go on observing the women more carefully, and do your best
to imitate them in everything. You will soon become successful at it."

"Surely, James, I'll do my best."

"And now, everybody, off to sleep!" James ordered.

When they were in the wagon, the two brothers spread their bedding on
the front part and prepared a place for Vance between them. Tod and Ray
spread their bedding in the back part of the chariot and lay down to
sleep. After they had blown out the lantern, they talked for a while
until gradually silence fell. Vance fell asleep feeling happy.

During the night he woke up feeling an odd sensation. When he was well
awake, he became aware that James was leaning against him with all his
body and was embracing him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the boy asked I a whisper, astounded.

"Shush... shut up!" James murmured raising Vance's skirt.

"Hey, no, stop it!" Vance murmured, starting to understand the young
man's intentions.


The boy tried to wriggle away, but James was on him and was trying to
keep him still and to undress him at the same time.

"No... no, come on... I don't want..." Vance protested.

James didn't stop. He seemed even more determined than ever. In a very
low voice he said in his ear, "I told you before you will be my wife,
and now I'll screw you as a wife... Oh, yes, you'll play the woman, with
all the trimmings. Now I'll take your nice arse, you can't escape me."

Walt woke up and soon became aware of the situation. He at once seized
Vance, helping his brother to keep him still, and whispered with a
lecherous voice, "Oh yes, Ellie, let my brother fuck you, so he opens
the way for me. It's so, James? It will be my turn, afterwards, won't
it? And you, Ellie, don't make fuss and be overheard, or else Tod and
Ray will wake up and will demand to have their turn with you. Would you
prefer having your ass ploughed by just the two of us, or by all us
four? Tell me..."

Vance became still as he well understood that what Walt had just said
was true. What could he do, he alone, against four men determined to
take advantage of him?

Meanwhile James managed to undress Vance, while lying on his side and
was spreading his little hole with saliva. He then started to vigorously
penetrate him. Vance was tense and trembled with fear. He shut his eyes
and clenched his teeth while he felt himself dilate and take the
invasion by that turgid, hard and blazing rod.

He felt a pain, at first stabbing, sharp, that became gradually dull but
went on while the young man was penetrating him. He tried to shut off
his mind from what was happening to him He tried not to think of it, but
that presence behind him, inside him, was unceasing.

Walt leaned against the front of his body, pushing into him and brushing
his body against the boy. Soon Vance felt the cock of the younger
brother become turgid and press against his pubes. Walt searched for his
lips and tried to kiss him. Vance turned his head to the side and shut
his lips to avoid contact.

Gradually, feeling his body squeezed between the hot bodies of the two
young men, started to cause a change in him. The boy started to get
weird feelings - light quivers ran along all his body. He felt a growing
warmth arise inside him, pervade him, and with astonishment he became
aware that he too was getting aroused, almost in answer to the
excitement of the two brothers.

Walt continued to try and kiss him. He had immobilized his face with
both his hands and was pressing his lips on Vance's lips, forcing them
open with his tongue. Then Vance yielded, opened his lips and relaxed,
totally surrendering. He discovered with astonishment that the pain at
his back was subsiding. He also discovered that Walt's tongue, that was
exploring his mouth, was giving him an agreeable feeling and thought
that after all the two males were in heat for him, for his body. This
made him feel a sensation of power.

While excitement was seizing Vance, the boy was feeling a growing
pleasure and lesser trouble so that, on instinct, he started to respond
to that double assault, to participate.

Finally James came inside him with low pleasurable moans, pushed himself
against the boy embracing him strongly and plunging inside him with a
last strong spasm, thoroughly savouring his orgasm, then withdrawing.

By that time, the boy was too excited to stop, he was determined to go
on, so he turned on his other side offering himself to Walt. When the
younger brother penetrated him and started to move back and forth, Vance
stared to masturbate himself and came just before Walt, who was taking
him with great pleasure.

At the beginning of the assault, when Vance had to surrender to the two
males in heat, he thought that even if for that time, he had to suffer
that violence, the day after he would run away and would go back to his
village, but now, after having experienced that new, unforeseen and so
strong a pleasure, he didn't feel so certain about running away.

At first it had been really disagreeable, possibly more because of the
imposition of that act than for the act in itself, and it had been
rather painful, but now, even though feeling some pain, he was also
feeling oddly satisfied. Coming in that way was much more agreeable than
just wanking alone, or with one of his brothers during the night.

"Dress up, Ellie, or else, if the others see you naked tomorrow morning,
they will possibly come and try to take you." Walt whispered.

Vance fussed a little to adjust his woman's clothes, then settled down
and soon fell into a deep and contented sleep.

The following morning they all arose and acted as if nothing had
happened. Vance noticed a particular light in the two brothers eyes when
they were talking with him.

During the day Walt and Tod taught him to cook. Ray taught him to darn
their costumes. They rehearsed the play for that evening, "King Richard
comes back". He had to play the role of three different women. Firstly
that of an Arab Princess, then the part of the mistress of the castle
trying to have Richard stay with her in France, and lastly, the Queen.
All went well, other than a bad slip by Tod, but as he was the comic he
just got more laughter from the villagers.

After the show Vance went to tour with the basket to gather the
offerings. A young man, after deposing a whole cheese in the basket,
pinched Vance's arse.

Vance turned to look at him in surprise. He blinked and, as Tod had
taught him, he whispered back, "Ah, if my husband was not here..." and
went away going on to gather the remaining offerings.

After they took the collected foods and the few coins into the wagon and
counted their takings, Vance told his companions about the pinch and his
answer and all laughed. They drank some beer then went to sleep. Vance,
guessing that there would be a repeat of the previous night, as soon as
Ray blew on the lantern, started to undress.

For a while nothing happened.  Vance thought he had been wrong, but as
soon as they heard Tod snore, James put his hands on him and, feeling he
was already naked, opened his breeches and took the boy. Vance then
stretched out a hand to touch Walt who, immediately pressed against him
and kissed him just as he had done the previous night. Vance became
aware that he liked what Walt was doing to him, besides fucking him,
that the caressing, teasing, kissing made him even more aroused.

He waited with some impatience for James to end with him, so he could
give himself to the younger brother and so get his own pleasure. After
dressing again, he thought that after all he didn't really have a reason
to run away. He could have good food with them, enough clothing to cover
himself, an he could even tolerate James as afterwards he could have his
share of pleasure with Walt.

The third day they were in that village, while he was at the fountain
drawing off water, he met the young man who the previous evening pinched
his arse.

The young man smiled at him and said, "Hey, beauty, aren't you able to
go away for a while from your husband?"

"What for?"

"I would like showing you something..."

"Oh, really? And what?"

"I've a little brother who would like being fondled by you some time..."

"A little brother? Where is he?"

"Under there. As soon as I saw you, he woke up."

Vance understood and for a moment was surprised, but then said, "God
forbid! I can't even think about it, my husband would be terribly
jealous!" and with the pail full of water, went hurriedly to the wagon
to prepare their meal.

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CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 2

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In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to
read them, the URL is

http://andrejkoymasky.com

If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English
translations, so that I can put on-line more of my  stories in English
please e-mail at

andrej@andrejkoymasky.com

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