pell of a fell witch, Sycorax, who had imprisoned in the trunks
of trees all the good spirits she found there. She died shortly before
Prospero was cast on those shores, but the spirits, of whom Ariel was
the chief, still remained in their prisons.

Prospero was a great magician, for he had devoted himself almost
entirely to the study of magic during the years in which he allowed
his brother to manage the affairs of Milan. By his art he set free the
imprisoned spirits, yet kept them obedient to his will, and they were
more truly his subjects than his people in Milan had been. For he
treated them kindly as long as they did his bidding, and he exercised
his power over them wisely and well. One creature alone he found it
necessary to treat with harshness: this was Caliban, the son of the
wicked old witch, a hideous, deformed monster, horrible to look on, and
vicious and brutal in all his habits.

When Miranda was grown up into a maiden, sweet and fair to see, it
chanced that Antonio and Alonso, with Sebastian, his brother, and
Ferdinand, his son, were at sea together with old Gonzalo, and their
ship came near Prospero's island. Prospero, knowing they were there,
raised by his art a great storm, so that even the sailors on board gave
themselves up for lost; and first among them all Prince Ferdinand leaped
into the sea, and, as his father thought in his grief, was drowned. But
Ariel brought him safe ashore; and all the rest of the crew, although
they were washed overboard, were landed unhurt in different parts of
the island, and the good ship herself, which they all thought had been
wrecked, lay at anchor in the harbor whither Ariel had brought her. Such
wonders could Prospero and his spirits perform.

While yet the tempest was raging, Prospero showed his daughter the brave
ship laboring in the trough of the sea, and told her that it was filled
with living human beings like themselves. She, in pity of their lives,
prayed him who had raised this storm to quell it. Then her father bade
her to have no fear, for he intended to save every one of them.

Then, for the first time, he told her the story of his life and hers,
and that he had caused this storm to rise in order that his enemies,
Antonio and Alonso, who were on board, might be delivered into his
hands.

When he had made an end of his story he charmed her into sleep, for
Ariel was at hand, and he had work for him to do. Ariel, who longed
for his complete freedom, gru