“O my father,” said Miranda, “what a trouble must I have been to you then!”

“No, my love,” said Prospero, “you were a little cherub that did preserve me.  Your innocent smiles made me to bear up against my misfortunes.  Our food lasted till we landed on this desert island, since when my chief delight has been in teaching you, Miranda, and well have you profited by my instructions.”

“Heaven thank you, my dear father,” said Miranda.  “Now pray tell me, sir, your reason for raising this sea storm?”

“Know, then,” said her father, “that by means of this storm my enemies, the king of Naples and my cruel brother, are cast ashore upon this island.”

Having so said, Prospero gently touched his daughter with his magic wand, and she fell fast asleep; for the spirit Ariel just then presented himself before his master, to give an account of the tempest, and how he had disposed of the ship’s company; and, though the spirits were always invisible to Miranda, Prospero did not choose she should hear him holding converse (as would seem to her) with the empty air.

“Well, my brave spirit,” said Prospero to Ariel, “how have you performed your task?”

Ariel gave a lively description of the storm, and the terrors of the mariners; and how the king’s son, Ferdinand, was the first who leaped into the sea; and his father thought he saw his dear son swallowed up by the waves and lost.  “But he is safe,” said Ariel, “in a corner of the isle, sitting with his arms folded, sadly lamenting the loss of the king his father, whom he concludes drowned.  Not a hair of his head is injured, and his princely garments, though drenched in the sea waves, look fresher than before.”

“That’s my delicate Ariel,” said Prospero.  “Bring him hither; my daughter must see this young prince.  Where is the king, and my brother?”

“I left them,” answered Ariel, “searching for Ferdinand, whom they have little hopes of finding, thinking they saw him perish.  Of the ship’s crew not one is missing; though each one thinks himself the only one saved; and the ship, though invisible to them, is safe in the harbor.”

“Ariel,” said Prospero, “thy charge is faithfully performed; but there is more work yet.”

“Is there more work?” said Ariel.  “Let me remind you, master, you have promised me my liberty.  I pray, remember, I have done you worthy service, told you no lies, made no mistakes, served you without grudge or grumbling.”

“How now!” said Prospero.  “You do not recollect what a torment I freed you from.  Have you forgot the wicked witch Sycorax, who with age and envy was almost bent double?  Where was she born?  Speak; tell me.”

“Sir, in Algiers,” said Ariel.

“Oh, was she so?” said Prospero.  “I must recount what you have been, which I find you do not remember.  This bad witch, Sycorax, for her witchcrafts, too terrible to enter human hearing, was banished from Algiers, and here left by the sailors; and because you were a spirit too delicate to execute her wicked commands, she shut you up in a tree, where I found you howling.  This torment, remember, I did free you from.”