I was washed up on the beach a while later, alone and worrying about the
rest of my shipmates, particularly my father. Then I heard some music – I
suppose that's what it was, although it seemed so unreal that it doesn't
seem like quite the right word – and it just made my fears into reality. I
can't remember the words, they hurt too much and were too spooky, but they
were about my father.
"This ditty does remember my father. This is no mortal business, nor no sounds that the earth owes. I hear it now above me." There was something bewitching about the sounds, and I followed them up – perhaps had I stopped to think I wouldn't have, but I was so upset that I didn't have any common sense left, I just went.
It was like climbing up to a temple, the island was so beautiful and mysterious, and the music seemed to come from some other world, so when I reached the flat space at the top of the hill, it was hardly surprising that I thought the beautiful girl I saw there to be a goddess. The music was quite bewitching enough, but the vision in front of me made any sense I had left vanish immediately. Now I look back I cringe at what I said, but it made little or no difference in the end.
"Most sure the goddess on whom these airs attend. Vouchsafe my prayer may know if you remain upon this island, and that you will some good instruction give how I may bear me here. My prime request, which I do last pronounce, is – O you wonder – if you be a maid, or no?"
She blushed and smiled; I was lost already.
"No wonder, sir, but certainly a maid."
"My language? Heavens! I am the best of them that speak this speech, were I but where 'tis spoken."
I was so much under the lady's spell that I had not yet noticed the man lurking behind her.
He spoke now, and I vaguely noticed his air of power and control.
"How the best? What wert thou if the King of Naples heard thee?" That brought me back to some sort of sense. It suddenly hit me that if, as it seemed, my father really were dead, the King of Naples was me! But all the court must have died... it was so horrible to think about. I answered as best as I could, telling him that my father had drowned. The man didn't seem to believe me though. Well, I suppose there was no reason why he should. But the girl seemed to take it as the truth, and, still completely spellbound, I turned to her again.
"O, if a virgin, and your affection not gone forth, I'll make you the Queen of Naples." But she didn't get a chance to answer, her father – I realised that the man must be that – interrupted and challenged me, accusing me of being a spy, and telling the girl that she should not speak to me. Then things started to get even stranger.
"Come!" he ordered, "I'll manacle they neck and feet together; sea water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be the fresh-brook mussels, withered roots, and husks wherein the acorn cradled. Follow."
I was King of Naples, who did this man think he was?
"No! I will resist such entertainment, till mine enemy has more power." Then I drew my sword and went to attack him, but I found that all of a sudden I could not move; the man's gaze held me fast and I was stuck there. Then the girl stepped in and begged him to be kind to me, but her father seemed shocked at her behaviour.
"What, I say, my foot my tutor? Silence! One more word shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee." I was pretty shocked at the way he spoke to her, but then again I supposed my father used to speak to Claribel a bit like that, she was always a bit of a rebel, or as much as she could be as princess of Naples without causing chaos. I hoped – well, still do – that I wouldn't be like that with any daughters I might have. But my thoughts were cut short by what he said next, it confused me. "Thou think'st there is no more such shapes as he, having seen but him and Caliban -" I noticed she flinched at the name – "Foolish wench, to th'most of men this is a Caliban, and they to him are angels."
"My affections are then most humble. I have no ambition to see a goodlier man." Wow, I thought, has she been locked away all her life? And who was this Caliban I was supposed to be like? Would I meet him? But all my thoughts kept returning to the girl, I didn't even know her name, but somehow everything else seemed meaningless in front of her.
"My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up. My father's loss, the weakness which I feel, the wrack of all my friends, nor this man's threats, to whom I am subdued, are but light to me, might I but through my prison once a day behold this maid. All corners else o'th'earth let liberty make use of; space enough have I in such a prison." It really did seem like that, heartless though it sounds in respect to my father and court. But the man called me away again, not answering my speech. The girl spoke to me quietly.
"Be of comfort; my father's of a better nature, sir, than he appears by speech. This is unwonted which now came from him." Be that as it may, he's still making me go somewhere, I thought, trying to smile at her as I followed him, gritting my teeth when he told her again not to speak for me.
"This ditty does remember my father. This is no mortal business, nor no sounds that the earth owes. I hear it now above me." There was something bewitching about the sounds, and I followed them up – perhaps had I stopped to think I wouldn't have, but I was so upset that I didn't have any common sense left, I just went.
It was like climbing up to a temple, the island was so beautiful and mysterious, and the music seemed to come from some other world, so when I reached the flat space at the top of the hill, it was hardly surprising that I thought the beautiful girl I saw there to be a goddess. The music was quite bewitching enough, but the vision in front of me made any sense I had left vanish immediately. Now I look back I cringe at what I said, but it made little or no difference in the end.
"Most sure the goddess on whom these airs attend. Vouchsafe my prayer may know if you remain upon this island, and that you will some good instruction give how I may bear me here. My prime request, which I do last pronounce, is – O you wonder – if you be a maid, or no?"
She blushed and smiled; I was lost already.
"No wonder, sir, but certainly a maid."
"My language? Heavens! I am the best of them that speak this speech, were I but where 'tis spoken."
I was so much under the lady's spell that I had not yet noticed the man lurking behind her.
He spoke now, and I vaguely noticed his air of power and control.
"How the best? What wert thou if the King of Naples heard thee?" That brought me back to some sort of sense. It suddenly hit me that if, as it seemed, my father really were dead, the King of Naples was me! But all the court must have died... it was so horrible to think about. I answered as best as I could, telling him that my father had drowned. The man didn't seem to believe me though. Well, I suppose there was no reason why he should. But the girl seemed to take it as the truth, and, still completely spellbound, I turned to her again.
"O, if a virgin, and your affection not gone forth, I'll make you the Queen of Naples." But she didn't get a chance to answer, her father – I realised that the man must be that – interrupted and challenged me, accusing me of being a spy, and telling the girl that she should not speak to me. Then things started to get even stranger.
"Come!" he ordered, "I'll manacle they neck and feet together; sea water shalt thou drink; thy food shall be the fresh-brook mussels, withered roots, and husks wherein the acorn cradled. Follow."
I was King of Naples, who did this man think he was?
"No! I will resist such entertainment, till mine enemy has more power." Then I drew my sword and went to attack him, but I found that all of a sudden I could not move; the man's gaze held me fast and I was stuck there. Then the girl stepped in and begged him to be kind to me, but her father seemed shocked at her behaviour.
"What, I say, my foot my tutor? Silence! One more word shall make me chide thee, if not hate thee." I was pretty shocked at the way he spoke to her, but then again I supposed my father used to speak to Claribel a bit like that, she was always a bit of a rebel, or as much as she could be as princess of Naples without causing chaos. I hoped – well, still do – that I wouldn't be like that with any daughters I might have. But my thoughts were cut short by what he said next, it confused me. "Thou think'st there is no more such shapes as he, having seen but him and Caliban -" I noticed she flinched at the name – "Foolish wench, to th'most of men this is a Caliban, and they to him are angels."
"My affections are then most humble. I have no ambition to see a goodlier man." Wow, I thought, has she been locked away all her life? And who was this Caliban I was supposed to be like? Would I meet him? But all my thoughts kept returning to the girl, I didn't even know her name, but somehow everything else seemed meaningless in front of her.
"My spirits, as in a dream, are all bound up. My father's loss, the weakness which I feel, the wrack of all my friends, nor this man's threats, to whom I am subdued, are but light to me, might I but through my prison once a day behold this maid. All corners else o'th'earth let liberty make use of; space enough have I in such a prison." It really did seem like that, heartless though it sounds in respect to my father and court. But the man called me away again, not answering my speech. The girl spoke to me quietly.
"Be of comfort; my father's of a better nature, sir, than he appears by speech. This is unwonted which now came from him." Be that as it may, he's still making me go somewhere, I thought, trying to smile at her as I followed him, gritting my teeth when he told her again not to speak for me.