This book is an easy-to-read retelling of William Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT. Reading this version first will make reading the original play much easier to understand.

Viola is shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria, and she disguises herself in men's clothing and begins to work for Duke Orsino. Although she falls in love with him, her main job is to carry love messages from him to Countess Olivia, who falls in love with Viola, whom Olivia thinks is a man.

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In this retelling, as in all my retellings, I have tried to make the work of literature accessible to modern readers who may lack the knowledge about mythology, religion, and history that the literary work's contemporary audience had.

Do you know a language other than English? If you do, I give you permission to translate this book, copyright your translation, publish or self-publish it, and keep all the royalties for yourself. (Do give me credit, of course, for the original retelling.)

I would like to see my retellings of classic literature used in schools, so I give permission to the country of Finland (and all other countries) to give copies of this book to all students forever. I also give permission to the state of Texas (and all other states) to give copies of this book to all students forever. I also give permission to all teachers to give copies of this book to all students forever.

Teachers need not actually teach my retellings. Teachers are welcome to give students copies of my eBooks as background material. For example, if they are teaching Homer's ILIAD and ODYSSEY, teachers are welcome to give students copies of my VIRGIL'S AENEID: A RETELLING IN PROSE and tell students, "Here's another ancient epic you may want to read in your spare time."