Page 110 - English Expedition Class 6

Grief and terror had so stupefi ed their senses, that they did not know Prospero at fi rst. He fi rst
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discovered himself to the good old Gonzalo, calling him the preserver of his life; and then his
brother and the king knew that he was the injured Prospero. 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. Prospero forgave them and, upon
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their engaging to restore his dukedom, he said to the king of Naples: ‘I have a gift in store for you
too’. Opening a door, he 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.
‘O wonder!’ said Miranda, ‘so many noble creatures there are here! It must surely be a brave
new world that has such people in it.’
Th e king of Naples was as astonished at the beauty and excellent graces of the young Miranda,
as his son had been.
‘I will be her father,’ said the king; ‘but oh! 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.’
Prospero now told them that their ship was safe in the harbour, and the sailors all on board,
and that he and Miranda would accompany them home the next morning. He buried deep in the
earth his magical books and wand, for he was resolved never more to make use of the magic art.
19
And having thus reconciled with his brother and the king of Naples, nothing now remained to
complete his happiness, but to revisit his native land and lead a peaceful life.
As for Ariel, before Prospero left the island, he dismissed Ariel from his service, to the great joy
of that lively little spirit, who went about the island singing in his joy.

Where the bee sucks,
there suck I;
In a cowslip’s bell 20
I lie;
Th ere I crouch when owls do cry.
On the bat’s back I do fl y
Aft er summer merrily.
Merrily, merrily shall I live now
Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

(Adapted from Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles and Mary Lamb)

17 stupefi ed: greatly shocked 19 reconciled: became friendly (with someone) again after a
18 depose: remove from power using force or trickery quarrel or disagreement
20 cowslip’s bell: the inner petals of the deep-yellow fl owers
of the cowslip plant
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