The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
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The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
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!"
And so singing, Ariel led the spell-bound prince into the presence
of Prospero and Miranda. Then, behold! all happened as Prospero
desired. For Miranda, who had never, since she could first
remember, seen any human being save her father, looked on the
youthful prince with reverence in her eyes, and love in her secret
heart.
"I might call him," she said, "a thing divine, for nothing natural
I ever saw so noble!"
And Ferdinand, beholding her beauty with wonder and delight,
exclaimed--
"Most sure the goddess on whom these airs attend!"
Nor did he attempt to hide the passion which she inspired in him,
for scarcely had they exchanged half a dozen sentences, before he
vowed to make her his queen if she were willing. But Prospero,
though secretly delighted, pretended wrath.
"You come here as a spy," he said to Ferdinand. "I will manacle
your neck and feet together, and you shall feed on fresh water
mussels, withered roots and husk, and have sea-water to drink.
Follow."
"No," said Ferdinand, and drew his sword. But on the instant
Prospero charmed him so that he stood there like a statue, still
as stone; and Miranda in terror prayed her father to have mercy on
her lover.
But he harshly refused her, and made Ferdinand follow him to his
cell. There he set the prince to work, making him remove thousands
of heavy logs of timber and pile them up; and Ferdinand patiently
obeyed, and thought his toil all too well repaid by the sympathy
of the sweet Miranda.
She in very pity would have helped him in his hard work, but he
would not let her, yet he could not keep from her the secret of
his love, and she, hearing it, rejoiced and promised to be his
wife.
Then Prospero released him from his servitude, and glad at heart,
he gave his consent to their marriage.
"Take her," he said, "she is thine own."
In the meantime, Antonio and Sebastian in another part of the
island were plotting the murder of Alonso, the King of Naples, for
Ferdinand being dead, as they thought, Sebastian would succeed to
the throne on Alonso's death. And they would have carried out
their wicked purpose while their victim was asleep, but that Ariel
woke him in good time.
Many tricks did Ariel play them. Once he set a banquet before
them, and just as they were going to fall to, he appeared to them
amid thunder and lightning in the form of a harpy, and immediately
the banquet disappeared. Then Ariel upbraided them with their sins
and vanished too.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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