my safety and with great increase of wealth, Allah having requited me
all that I had wasted and lost, and I abode awhile in Baghdad-city
savouring the utmost ease and prosperity and comfort and happiness, till
the carnal man was once more seized with longing for travel and
diversion and adventure, and yearned after traffic and lucre and
emolument, for that the human heart is naturally prone to evil. So
making up my mind I laid in great plenty of goods suitable for a
sea-voyage and repairing to Bassorah, went down to the shore and found
there a fine ship ready to sail, with a full crew and a numerous company
of merchants, men of worth and substance; faith, piety and
consideration. I embarked with them and we set sail on the blessing of
Allah Almighty and on His aidance and His favour to bring our voyage to
a safe and prosperous issue and already we congratulated one another on
our good fortune and boon voyage. We fared on from sea to sea and from
island to island and city to city, in all delight and contentment,
buying and selling wherever we touched, and taking our solace and our
pleasure, till one day when, as we sailed athwart the dashing sea,
swollen with clashing billows, behold, the master (who stood on the
gunwale examining the ocean in all directions) cried out with a great
cry, and buffeted his face and pluckt out his beard and rent his
raiment, and bade furl the sail and cast the anchors. So we said to him,
“O Rais, what is the matter?” “Know, O my brethren (Allah preserve
you!), that the wind hath gotten the better of us and hath driven us out
of our course into mid-ocean, and destiny, for our ill luck, hath
brought us to the Mountain of the Zughb, a hairy folk like apes,[26]
among whom no man ever fell and came forth alive; and my heart presageth
that we all be dead men.” Hardly had the master made an end of his
speech when the apes were upon us. They surrounded the ship on all sides
swarming like locusts and crowding the shore. They were the most
frightful of wild creatures, covered with black hair like felt, foul of
favour and small of stature, being but four spans high, yellow-eyed and
black-faced; none knoweth their language nor what they are, and they
shun the company of men. We feared to slay them or strike them or drive
them away, because of their inconceivable multitude; lest, if we hurt
one, the rest fall on us and slay us, for numbers prevail over courage;
so we let them do their will, albeit we feared they would plunder our
goods and gear. They swarmed up the cables and gnawed them asunder, and
on like wise they did with all the ropes of the ship, so that it fell
off from the wind and stranded upon their mountainous coast. Then they
laid hands on all the merchants and crew, and landing us on the island,
made off with the ship and its cargo and went their ways, we wot not
whither. We were thus left on the island, eating of its fruits and
pot-herbs and drinking of its streams till, one day, we espied in its
midst what seemed an inhabited house. So we made for it as fast as our
feet could carry us and behold, it was a castle strong and tall,
compassed about with a lofty wall, and having a two-leaved gate of
ebony-wood both of which leaves open stood. We entered and found within
a space wide and bare like a great square, round which stood many high
doors open thrown, and at the farther end a long bench of stone and
brasiers, with cooking gear hanging thereon and about it great plenty of
bones; but we saw no one and marvelled thereat with exceeding wonder.
Then we sat down in the courtyard a little while and presently falling
asleep, slept from the forenoon till sundown, when lo! the earth
trembled under our feet and the air rumbled with a terrible tone. Then
there came down upon us, from the top of the castle, a huge creature in
the likeness of a man, black of colour, tall and big of bulk, as he were
a great date-tree, with eyes like coals of fire and eye-teeth like
boar’s tusks and a vast big gape like the mouth of a well. Moreover, he
had long loose lips like camel’s, hanging down upon his breast, and ears
like two Jarms[27] falling over his shoulder-blades and the nails of his
hands were like the claws of a lion.[28] When we saw this frightful
giant, we were like to faint and every moment increased our fear and
terror; and we became as dead men for excess of horror and
affright.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
continued:—When we saw this frightful giant we were struck with
exceeding terror and horror. And after trampling upon the earth, he sat
awhile on the bench; then he arose and coming to us seized me by the arm
choosing me out from among my comrades the merchants. He took me up in
his hand and turning me over felt me, as a butcher feeleth a sheep he is
about to slaughter, and I but a little mouthful in his hands; but
finding me lean and fleshless for stress of toil and trouble and
weariness, let me go and took up another, whom in like manner he turned
over and felt and let go; nor did he cease to feel and turn over the
rest of us, one after another, till he came to the master of the ship.
Now he was a sturdy, stout, broad-shouldered wight, fat and in full
vigour; so he pleased the giant, who seized him, as a butcher seizeth a
beast, and throwing him down, set his foot on his neck and brake it;
after which he fetched a long spit and thrusting it up his backside,
brought it forth of the crown of his head. Then, lighting a fierce fire,
he set over it the spit with the Rais thereon, and turned it over the
coals, till the flesh was roasted, when he took the spit off the fire
and set it like a Kabáb-stick before him. Then he tare the body, limb
from limb, as one jointeth a chicken and, rending the flesh with his
nails, fell to eating of it and gnawing the bones, till there was
nothing left but some of these, which he threw on one side of the wall.
This done, he sat for a while; then he lay down on the stone-bench and
fell asleep, snarking and snoring like the gurgling of a lamb or a cow
with its throat cut; nor did he awake till morning, when he rose and
fared forth and went his ways. As soon as we were certified that he was
gone, we began to talk with one another, weeping and bemoaning ourselves
for the risk we ran, and saying, “Would Heaven we had been drowned in
the sea or that the apes had eaten us! That were better than to be
roasted over the coals; by Allah, this is a vile, foul death! But whatso
the Lord willeth must come to pass and there is no Majesty and there is
no Might, save in Him, the Glorious, the Great! We shall assuredly
perish miserably and none will know of us; as there is no escape for us
from this place.” Then we arose and roamed about the island, hoping that
haply we might find a place to hide us in or a means of flight, for
indeed death was a light matter to us, provided we were not roasted over
the fire[29] and eaten. However, we could find no hiding-place and the
evening overtook us; so, of the excess of our terror, we returned to the
castle and sat down awhile. Presently, the earth trembled under our feet
and the black ogre came up to us and turning us over, felt one after
other, till he found a man to his liking, whom he took and served as he
had done the captain, killing and roasting and eating him: after which
he lay down on the bench[30] and slept all night, snarking and snoring
like a beast with its throat cut, till daybreak, when he arose and went
out as before. Then we drew together and conversed and said one to
other, “By Allah, we had better throw ourselves into the sea and be
drowned than die roasted; for this is an abominable death!” Quoth one of
us, “Hear ye my words! let us cast about to kill him, and be at peace
from the grief of him and rid the Moslems of his barbarity and tyranny.”
Then said I, “Hear me, O my brothers; if there is nothing for it but to
slay him, let us carry some of this firewood and planks down to the
sea-shore and make us a boat wherein, if we succeed in slaughtering him,
we may either embark and let the waters carry us whither Allah willeth,
or else abide here till some ship pass, when we will take passage in it.
If we fail to kill him, we will embark in the boat and put out to sea;
and if we be drowned, we shall at least escape being roasted over a
kitchen fire with sliced weasands; whilst, if we escape, we escape, and
if we be drowned, we die martyrs.” “By Allah,” said they all, “this rede
is a right;” and we agreed upon this, and set about carrying it out. So
we haled down to the beach the pieces of wood which lay about the bench;
and, making a boat, moored it to the strand, after which we stowed
therein somewhat of victual and returned to the castle. As soon as
evening fell the earth trembled under our feet and in came the
blackamoor upon us, snarling like a dog about to bite. He came up to us
and feeling us and turning us over one by one, took one of us and did
with him as he had done before and ate him, after which he lay down on
the bench and snored and snorted like thunder. As soon as we were
assured that he slept, we arose and taking two iron spits of those
standing there, heated them in the fiercest of the fire, till they were
red-hot, like burning coals, when we gripped fast hold of them and going
up to the giant, as he lay snoring on the bench, thrust them into his
eyes and pressed upon them, all of us, with our united might, so that
his eyeballs burst and he became stone blind. Thereupon he cried with a
great cry, whereat our hearts trembled, and springing up from the bench,
he fell a-groping after us, blind-fold. We fled from him right and left
and he saw us not, for his sight was altogether blent; but we were in
terrible fear of him and made sure we were dead men despairing of
escape. Then he found the door, feeling for it with his hands and went
out roaring aloud; and behold, the earth shook under us, for the noise
of his roaring, and we quaked for fear. As he quitted the castle we
followed him and betook ourselves to the place where we had moored our
boat, saying to one another, “If this accursed abide absent till the
going down of the sun and come not to the castle, we shall know that he
is dead; and if he come back, we will embark in the boat and paddle till
we escape, committing our affair to Allah.” But, as we spoke, behold, up
came the blackamoor with other two as they were Ghuls, fouler and more
frightful than he, with eyes like red-hot coals; which when we saw, we
hurried into the boat and casting off the moorings paddled away and
pushed out to sea.[31] As soon as the ogres caught sight of us, they
cried out at us and running down to the sea-shore, fell a-pelting us
with rocks, whereof some fell amongst us and others fell into the sea.
We paddled with all our might till we were beyond their reach, but the
most part of us were slain by the rock-throwing, and the winds and waves
sported with us and carried us into the midst of the dashing sea,
swollen with billows clashing. We knew not whither we went and my
fellows died one after another, till there remained but three, myself
and two others;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
thus continued:—Most part of us were slain by the rock-throwing and only
three of us remained on board the boat for, as often as one died, we
threw him into the sea. We were sore exhausted for stress of hunger, but
we took courage and heartened one another and worked for dear life and
paddled with main and might, till the winds cast us upon an island, as
we were dead men for fatigue and fear and famine. We landed on the
island and walked about it for a while, finding that it abounded in
trees and streams and birds; and we ate of the fruits and rejoiced in
our escape from the black and our deliverance from the perils of the
sea; and thus we did till nightfall, when we lay down and fell asleep
for excess of fatigue. But we had hardly closed our eyes before we were
aroused by a hissing sound, like the sough of wind, and awaking, saw a
serpent like a dragon, a seld-seen sight, of monstrous make and belly of
enormous bulk which lay in a circle around us. Presently it reared its
head and, seizing one of my companions, swallowed him up to his
shoulders; then it gulped down the rest of him, and we heard his ribs
crack in its belly. Presently it went its way, and we abode in sore
amazement and grief for our comrade and mortal fear for ourselves,
saying, “By Allah, this is a marvellous thing! Each kind of death that
threateneth us is more terrible than the last. We were rejoicing in our
escape from the black ogre and our deliverance from the perils of the
sea; but now we have fallen into that which is worse. There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah! By the Almighty, we have
escaped from the blackamoor and from drowning: but how shall we escape
from this abominable and viperish monster?” Then we walked about the
island, eating of its fruits and drinking of its streams till dusk, when
we climbed up into a high tree and went to sleep there, I being on the
topmost bough. As soon as it was dark night, up came the serpent,
looking right and left; and, making for the tree whereon we were,
climbed up to my comrade and swallowed him down to his shoulders. Then
it coiled about the bole[32] with him, whilst I, who could not take my
eyes off the sight, heard his bones crack in its belly, and it swallowed
him whole, after which it slid down from the tree. When the day broke
and the light showed me that the serpent was gone, I came down, as I
were a dead man for stress of fear and anguish, and thought to cast
myself into the sea and be at rest from the woes of the world; but could
not bring myself to this, for verily life is dear. So I took five pieces
of wood, broad and long, and bound one crosswise to the soles of my feet
and others in like fashion on my right and left sides and over my
breast; and the broadest and largest I bound across my head and made
them fast with ropes. Then I lay down on the ground on my back, so that
I was completely fenced in by the pieces of wood, which enclosed me like
a bier.[33] So as soon as it was dark, up came the serpent, as usual,
and made towards me, but could not get at me to swallow me for the wood
that fenced me in. So it wriggled round me on every side, whilst I
looked on, like one dead by reason of my terror; and every now and then
it would glide away and come back; but as often as it tried to come at
me, it was hindered by the pieces of wood wherewith I had bound myself
on every side. It ceased not to beset me thus from sundown till dawn,
but when the light of day shone upon the beast it made off, in the
utmost fury and extreme disappointment. Then I put out my hand and
unbound myself, well-nigh down among the dead men for fear and
suffering; and went down to the island-shore, whence a ship afar off in
the midst of the waves suddenly struck my sight. So I tore off a great
branch of a tree and made signs with it to the crew, shouting out the
while; which when the ship’s company saw they said to one another, “We
must stand in and see what this is; peradventure ‘tis a man.” So they
made for the island and presently heard my cries, whereupon they took me
on board and questioned me of my case. I told them all my adventures
from first to last, whereat they marvelled mightily and covered my
shame[34] with some of their clothes. Moreover, they set before me
somewhat of food and I ate my fill and I drank cold sweet water and was
mightily refreshed; and Allah Almighty quickened me after I was
virtually dead. So I praised the Most Highest and thanked Him for His
favours and exceeding mercies, and my heart revived in me after utter
despair, till meseemed as if all I had suffered were but a dream I had
dreamed. We sailed on with a fair wind the Almighty sent us till we came
to an Island, called Al-Saláhitah,[35] which aboundeth in sandal-wood
when the captain cast anchor,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
continued:—And when we had cast anchor, the merchants and the sailors
landed with their goods to sell and to buy. Then the captain turned to
me and said, “Hark’ee, thou art a stranger and a pauper and tellest us
that thou hast undergone frightful hardships; wherefore I have a mind to
benefit thee with somewhat that may further thee to thy native land, so
thou wilt ever bless me and pray for me.” “So be it,” answered I; “thou
shalt have my prayers.” Quoth he, “Know then that there was with us a
man, a traveller, whom we lost, and we know not if he be alive or dead,
for we had no news of him; so I purpose to commit his bales of goods to
thy charge, that thou mayst sell them in this island. A part of the
proceeds we will give thee as an equivalent for thy pains and service,
and the rest we will keep till we return to Baghdad, where we will
enquire for his family and deliver it to them, together with the unsold
goods. Say me then, wilt thou undertake the charge and land and sell
them as other merchants do?” I replied, “Hearkening and obedience to
thee, O my lord; and great is thy kindness to me,” and thanked him;
whereupon he bade the sailors and porters bear the bales in question
ashore and commit them to my charge. The ship’s scribe asked him, “O
master, what bales are these and what merchant’s name shall I write upon
them?”; and he answered, “Write on them the name of Sindbad the Seaman,
him who was with us in the ship and whom we lost at the Rukh’s island,
and of whom we have no tidings; for we mean this stranger to sell them;
and we will give him a part of the price for his pains and keep the rest
till we return to Baghdad where, if we find the owner we will make it
over to him, and if not, to his family.” And the clerk said, “Thy words
are apposite and thy rede is right.” Now when I heard the captain give
orders for the bales to be inscribed with my name, I said to myself, “By
Allah, I am Sindbad the Seaman!” So I armed myself with courage and
patience and waited till all the merchants had landed and were gathered
together, talking and chaffering about buying and selling; then I went
up to the captain and asked him, “O my lord, knowest thou what manner of
man was this Sindbad, whose goods thou hast committed to me for sale?”;
and he answered, “I know of him naught save that he was a man from
Baghdad-city, Sindbad hight the Seaman, who was drowned with many others
when we lay anchored at such an island and I have heard nothing of him
since then.” At this I cried out with a great cry and said, “O captain,
whom Allah keep! know that I am that Sindbad the Seaman and that I was
not drowned, but when thou castest anchor at the island, I landed with
the rest of the merchants and crew; and I sat down in a pleasant place
by myself and ate somewhat of food I had with me and enjoyed myself till
I became drowsy and was drowned in sleep; and when I awoke, I found no
ship and none near me. These goods are my goods and these bales are my
bales; and all the merchants who fetch jewels from the Valley of
Diamonds saw me there and will bear me witness that I am the very
Sindbad the Seaman; for I related to them everything that had befallen
me and told them how you forgot me and left me sleeping on the island,
and that betided me which betided me.” When the passengers and crew
heard my words, they gathered about me and some of them believed me and
others disbelieved; but presently, behold, one of the merchants, hearing
me mention the Valley of Diamonds, came up to me and said to them, “Hear
what I say, good people! When I related to you the most wonderful thing
in my travels, and I told you that, at the time we cast down our
slaughtered animals into the Valley of Serpents (I casting with the rest
as was my wont), there came up a man hanging to mine, ye believed me not
and gave me the lie.” “Yes,” quoth they, “thou didst tell us some such
tale, but we had no call to credit thee.” He resumed, “Now this is the
very man, by token that he gave me diamonds of great value and high
price whose like are not to be found, requiting me more than would have
come up sticking to my quarter of meat; and I companied with him to
Bassorah-city, where he took leave of us and went on to his native
stead, whilst we returned to our own land. This is he; and he told us
his name, Sindbad the Seaman, and how the ship left him on the desert
island. And know ye that Allah hath sent him hither, so might the truth
of my story be made manifest to you. Moreover, these are his goods for,
when he first foregathered with us, he told us of them; and the truth of
his words is patent.” Hearing the merchant’s speech the captain came up
to me and considered me straitly awhile, after which he said, “What was
the mark on thy bales?” “Thus and thus,” answered I, and reminded him of
somewhat that had passed between him and me, when I shipped with him
from Bassorah. Thereupon he was convinced that I was indeed Sindbad the
Seaman and took me round the neck and gave me joy of my safety, saying,
“By Allah, O my lord, thy case is indeed wondrous and thy tale
marvellous; but lauded be Allah who hath brought thee and me together
again, and who hath restored to thee thy goods and gear!”——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
thus continued:—“Alhamdolillah!” quoth the captain, “lauded be Allah who
hath restored unto thee thy goods and gear.” Then I disposed of my
merchandise to the best of my skill, and profited largely on them
whereat I rejoiced with exceeding joy and congratulated myself on my
safety and the recovery of my goods. We ceased not to buy and sell at
the several islands till we came to the land of Hind, where we bought
cloves and ginger and all manner spices; and thence we fared on to the
land of Sind, where also we bought and sold. In these Indian seas, I saw
wonders without number or count, amongst others a fish like a cow which
bringeth forth its young and suckleth them like human beings; and of its
skin bucklers are made.[36] There were eke fishes like asses and
camels[37] and tortoises twenty cubits wide.[38] And I saw also a bird
that cometh out of a sea-shell and layeth eggs and hatcheth her chicks
on the surface of the water, never coming up from the sea to the
land.[39] Then we set sail again with a fair wind and the blessing of
Almighty Allah; and, after a prosperous voyage, arrived safe and sound
at Bassorah. Here I abode a few days and presently returned to Baghdad
where I went at once to my quarter and my house and saluted my family
and familiars and friends. I had gained on this voyage what was beyond
count and reckoning, so I gave alms and largesse and clad the widow and
the orphan, by way of thanksgiving for my happy return, and fell to
feasting and making merry with my companions and intimates and forgot,
while eating well and drinking well and dressing well, everything that
had befallen me and all the perils and hardships I had suffered. These,
then, are the most admirable things I sighted on my third voyage, and
to-morrow, an it be the will of Allah, you shall come to me and I will
relate the adventures of my fourth voyage, which is still more wonderful
than those you have already heard. (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then
Sindbad the Seaman bade give Sindbad the Landsman an hundred golden
dinars as of wont and called for food. So they spread the tables and the
company ate the night-meal and went their ways, marvelling at the tale
they had heard. The Porter after taking his gold passed the night in his
own house, also wondering at what his namesake the Seaman had told him,
and as soon as day broke and the morning showed with its sheen and
shone, he rose and praying the dawn-prayer betook himself to Sindbad the
Seaman, who returned his salute and received him with an open breast and
cheerful favour and made him sit with him till the rest of the company
arrived, when he caused set on food and they ate and drank and made
merry. Then Sindbad the Seaman bespake them and related to them the
narrative of
_THE FOURTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN_.