Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Adaptations; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stories, plots, etc. -- Juvenile literature
Antonio, with tears and sad words of sorrow and true repentance,
implored his brother’s forgiveness, and the king expressed his
sincere remorse for having assisted Antonio to depose his
brother: and Prospero forgave them; and, upon their engaging to
restore his dukedom, he said to the King of Naples, “I have a
gift in store for you, too”; and, opening a door, showed him his
son Ferdinand playing at chess with Miranda.
Nothing could exceed the joy of the father and the son at this
unexpected meeting, for they each thought the other drowned in
the storm.
“Oh wonder!” said Miranda, “what noble creatures these are! It
must surely be a brave world that has such people in it.”
The King of Naples was almost as much astonished at the beauty
and excellent graces of the young Miranda as his son had been.
“Who is this maid?” said he; “she seems the goddess that has
parted us, and brought us thus together.”
“No, sir,” answered Ferdinand, smiling to find his father had
fallen into the same mistake that he had done when he first saw
Miranda, “she is a mortal, but by immortal Providence she is
mine; I chose her when I could not ask you, my father, for your
consent, not thinking you were alive. She is the daughter this
Prospero, who is the famous Duke of Milan, of whose renown I have
heard so much, but never saw him till now: of him I have received
a new life: he has made himself to me a second father, giving me
this dear lady.”
“Then I must be her father,” said the king; “but, oh, how oddly
will it sound, that I must ask my child forgiveness.”
“No more of that,” said Prospero: “let us not remember our
troubles past, since they so happily have ended.” And then
Prospero embraced his brother, and again assured him of his
forgiveness; and said that a wise overruling Providence had
permitted that he should be driven from his poor dukedom of
Milan, that his daughter might inherit the crown of Naples, for
that by their meeting in this desert island it had happened that
the king’s son had loved Miranda.
These kind words which Prospero spoke, meaning to comfort his
brother, so filled Antonio with shame and remorse that be wept
and was unable to speak; and the kind old Gonzalo wept to see
this joyful reconciliation, and prayed for blessings on the young
couple.
Prospero now told them that their ship was safe in the harbor,
and the sailors all on board her, and that he and his daughter
would accompany them home the next morning. “In the mean time,”
says he, “partake of such refreshments as my poor cave affords;
and for your evening’s entertainment I will relate the history of
my life from my first landing in this desert island.” He then
called for Caliban to prepare some food, and set the cave in
order; and the company were astonished at the uncouth form and
savage appearance of this ugly monster, who (Prospero said) was
the only attendant he had to wait upon him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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