Beautiful Stories from ShakespeareShakespeare, William
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Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Shakespeare, William
Children's literature; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stories, plots, etc. -- Juvenile literature
When Miranda was grown up into a maiden, sweet and fair to see, it
chanced that Antonio and Alonso, with Sebastian, his brother, and
Ferdinand, his son, were at sea together with old Gonzalo, and their
ship came near Prospero's island. Prospero, knowing they were there,
raised by his art a great storm, so that even the sailors on board gave
themselves up for lost; and first among them all Prince Ferdinand leaped
into the sea, and, as his father thought in his grief, was drowned. But
Ariel brought him safe ashore; and all the rest of the crew, although
they were washed overboard, were landed unhurt in different parts of
the island, and the good ship herself, which they all thought had been
wrecked, lay at anchor in the harbor whither Ariel had brought her. Such
wonders could Prospero and his spirits perform.
While yet the tempest was raging, Prospero showed his daughter the brave
ship laboring in the trough of the sea, and told her that it was filled
with living human beings like themselves. She, in pity of their lives,
prayed him who had raised this storm to quell it. Then her father bade
her to have no fear, for he intended to save every one of them.
Then, for the first time, he told her the story of his life and hers,
and that he had caused this storm to rise in order that his enemies,
Antonio and Alonso, who were on board, might be delivered into his
hands.
When he had made an end of his story he charmed her into sleep, for
Ariel was at hand, and he had work for him to do. Ariel, who longed
for his complete freedom, grumbled to be kept in drudgery, but on being
threateningly reminded of all the sufferings he had undergone when
Sycorax ruled in the land, and of the debt of gratitude he owed to the
master who had made those sufferings to end, he ceased to complain, and
promised faithfully to do whatever Prospero might command.
“Do so,” said Prospero, “and in two days I will discharge thee.”
Then he bade Ariel take the form of a water nymph and sent him in search
of the young prince. And Ariel, invisible to Ferdinand, hovered near
him, singing the while--
“Come unto these yellow sands
And then take hands:
Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd
(The wild waves whist),
Foot it featly here and there;
And, sweet sprites, the burden bear!”
And Ferdinand followed the magic singing, as the song changed to a
solemn air, and the words brought grief to his heart, and tears to his
eyes, for thus they ran--
“Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made.
Those are pearls that were his eyes,
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell.
Hark! now I hear them,-- ding dong bell!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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