Types of Children's Literature: A Collection of the World's Best Literature for Children, For Use in Colleges, Normal Schools and Library Schools
General
Types of Children's Literature: A Collection of the World's Best Literature for Children, For Use in Colleges, Normal Schools and Library Schools
Children's literature
"Silence," said the father, "one word more will make me chide
you, girl! What! an advocate for an impostor! You think there
are no more such fine men, having seen only him and Caliban.
I tell you, foolish girl, most men as far excel this as he does
Caliban." This he said to prove his daughter's constancy; and she
replied," My affections are most humble. I have no wish to see
a goodlier man."
"Come on, young man," said Prospero to the prince, "you have
no power to disobey me."
"I have not, indeed," answered Ferdinand; and not knowing that
it was by magic that he was deprived of all power of resistance, he
was astonished to find himself so strangely compelled to follow
Prospero: looking back on Miranda as long as he could see her, he said,
as he went after Prospero into the cave, "My spirits are all bound
up, as if I were in a dream; but this man's threats, and the weakness
which I feel, would seem light to me if from my prison I
might once a day behold this fair maid."
Prospero kept Ferdinand not long confined within his cell: he
soon brought out his prisoner, and set him a severe task to perform,
taking care to let his daughter know the hard labor he had imposed
on him, and then pretending to go into his study, he secretly
watched them both.
Prospero had commanded Ferdinand to pile up some heavy logs
of wood. King's sons not being much used to laborious work,
Miranda soon after found her lover almost dying with fatigue.
"Alas!" said she, "do not work so hard; my father is at his
studies, he is safe for these three hours; pray rest yourself."
"O my dear lady!" said Ferdinand, "I dare not. I must finish
my task before I take any rest."
"If you will sit down," said Miranda, "I will carry your logs the
while." But this Ferdinand would by no means agree to. Instead
of a help Miranda became a hindrance, for they began a long
conversation, so that the business of log-carrying went on very
slowly.
Prospero, who had enjoined Ferdinand this task merely as a trial
of his love, was not at his books, as his daughter supposed, but
was standing by them invisible, to overhear what they said.
Ferdinand inquired her name, which she told, saying it was
against her father's express command she did so.
Prospero only smiled, at this first instance of his daughter's
disobedience, for having by his magic art caused his daughter to
fall in love so suddenly, he was not angry that she showed her
love by forgetting to obey his commands. And he listened well
pleased to a long speech of Ferdinand's, in which he professed
to love her above all the ladies he ever saw.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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