AS I related yesterday, I was living here in Baghdad in the midst of
every delight, surrounded by companions after my own heart. But a time
came when the wandering spirit seized me again and I longed for the
sight, even for the perils, of other and unknown lands. This, and the
fact that I had decreased my substance by large expenditure, led me to
adventure a second journey, at once to relieve the monotony of life and
to replenish my exhausted store.
The step was quickly taken. Having collected suitable merchandise I
repaired to the river, and, without a word to anyone, embarked on a
new ship finely rigged and manned by a large crew. Together with a
goodly party of merchants I sailed away, and we passed over the deep
from island to island and from sea to sea, with fair winds filling the
sails. And at every place at which we cast anchor we bought and sold
and bartered. So we continued until we came to an uninhabited island of
great beauty. The trees hung with ripe fruits; birds of bright plumage
flew hither and thither over the shining foliage, and their songs were
heard in the topmost branches; rare flowers laid their scent upon the
breeze, and pure clear streams coursed everywhere. When we landed we
fell to extolling these master touches of the Creator's hand, for,
indeed, the place was, as it were, born of fragrant musk--so fresh
and beautiful and full of all delights not made by man. Selecting a
rare spot on the bank of a stream, I sat apart, meditating upon the
wonderful works of the Omnipotent One. There the soft zephyrs singing
in the trees, and the stream murmuring at my feet, lulled me to
slumber; and, when I awoke later, I looked forth upon the sea and lo,
the ship was far out on the wall of the ocean sloping to the sky. They
had forgotten me and I was left alone upon the island.
Despair fell upon me as I gazed around and realised that I was
desolate. And I said within myself, "What if I escaped from dangers
in the past when all seemed lost--it still remains that here at least
there is no escape." Then I blamed myself for leaving my comfortable
life in Baghdad to undertake this voyage; for here there was neither
strong food nor strong drink; nor rich apparel, nor gold, nor goods. As
I pondered to the point of madness on these things a restless spirit
came upon me, and I ran to and fro in the island, retracing my steps
and crossing them; but I found naught to lessen my despair.
[Illustration: The Episode of the Whale. Page 9]
At last I climbed to the top of a high tree, and, looking forth in
every direction, saw only sky and sea and trees and watercourses. As
I gazed, however, my eye reverted again and again to an object in a
distant part of the island. It was round and white, and of enormous
size. This aroused my curiosity and I resolved to find out what it was.
Having marked its position I descended from the tree and made my way
towards it. When I reached it I found to my astonishment that it was a
gigantic dome, white and shining. My first thought was to walk round it
to ascertain if there were some door or opening, but none could I find
in its whole circumference, which was about fifty paces.
While I was meditating on some means to gain an entrance to this
strange structure, behold, the sky darkened; and on looking towards the
sinking sun, I saw it was hidden by a great black cloud,--an unwonted
thing, as it was the summer season. While I continued to gaze the
object drew rapidly nearer, and now I could discern in it the shape of
a monstrous bird approaching swiftly through the air; and this it was
that blotted out the sun.
Marvelling greatly I recalled a story told by travellers about certain
islands where was found a bird of immense size called the rukh, which
fed its young on elephants. It was then I knew that the great white
dome I had discovered was one of this bird's eggs,--at which, not the
least of the Creator's works, I wondered greatly. Then, while I so
wondered, the giant bird alighted over the egg, and, crouching down,
spread its wings and brooded over it, and composed itself to sleep.
Here, thought I, was a chance of escaping from the island. Unfolding my
turban I twisted it into a rope, and bound one end of it tightly about
my waist; then I approached the great bird cautiously, and fastened the
other end securely to one of its feet; for thus, when it flew away, it
might perchance bear me through the air to some inhabited region.
The whole night long I lay awake thinking of my projected flight, but
it was not until morning that the bird awoke, and, with a loud cry,
rose from the egg, bearing me aloft. Higher and higher it soared, until
I thought it must reach the stars; then, gradually, in vast circles,
it descended, and finally came to earth on a high table-land. In great
fear lest the bird should discover my presence I made haste to loose
the turban from its foot, and, having done so, I crept away, trembling
in every limb. Then, as I watched the bird from a distance, I observed
it pick something from the ground and soar away with it clutched in
its talons; and I looked again and saw that it was an enormous serpent
twisting and writhing in the grasp of the bird as it flew swiftly
towards the sea. And at this strange thing I wondered greatly as I
folded my turban.
But what desert place had I come to by this daring misadventure? On
the one side of the table-land was a deep valley, and, on the other, a
steep mountain which no foot of man could climb. Had I only remained
in the island I should at least have had fruit to eat and water to
drink, but here was nothing but desolation, from which I had no hope of
escape. There was no course but to descend into the valley; and this I
did, little caring whither I went.
Now, I had not walked therein but a few furlongs when I observed that
the ground I trod was strewn with diamonds of large size, but--and
this gave me cause for wild alarm--coiled here and there amongst the
stones were gigantic serpents such as the one I had seen the bird bear
away in its talons. As soon as I was aware of these sleeping serpents,
which were of the same hue as the ground whereon they lay, I stept
warily lest I should awaken them and be devoured.
In this way was I proceeding down that valley, my flesh quaking and
my knees a-tremble, when suddenly the flayed carcase of a slaughtered
beast fell with a great noise before me. This aroused great wonder
in my mind and also called to my recollection a story I had heard
in my youth from a merchant traveller who had visited lands whence
none else had ever come to deny the truth of it--a story confirmed
by others who claimed a reputation for wide knowledge, and feared
to lose it. It was this--that in a far land, where diamonds are as
thickly strewn as the venomous serpents and other deadly perils which
render it difficult to come at them, the daring merchants who seek
these precious stones employ a cunning stratagem. They take a beast
and slaughter it on the heights above the valley, and, having skinned
it and lacerated the flesh, they throw it down. And, when it reaches
the bottom of the valley whereon the diamonds lie, the stones adhere
to the moist flesh. From the depths of the sky descends the watching
vulture of the giant kind, and this bird, seizing the carcase in its
talons, soars with it to the mountain tops; whereupon the merchants
spring out and frighten the bird away with loud cries, and then take
the stones adhering to the meat and bear them to their own country. I
had my whole life long regarded this story with a half-shut eye, but
now, beholding the slaughtered beast before me, and guessing full well
the meaning of its presence there, I said within myself, "By Allah! no
marvel is past belief, for here is the verification." I surveyed that
carcase and, having measured in a glance the distance to the mountains
whence it had descended, I gazed into the blue sky in whose depths
lurked the watching vulture. A plan of escape then came to me and I
hastened to put it into operation. First I gathered as many diamonds as
I could well dispose within my garments. Then, unfolding my turban, I
approached the slaughtered beast, and, lying on my back, drew it over
me and bound myself firmly to it.
I had not lain long in that position, with the heavy weight of the
beast upon me, when a monstrous vulture came out of the sky, and,
seizing upon the carcase with a loud scream, gripped it in its powerful
talons and rose up and away with it and me. And it rose higher and
higher, with a mighty flapping of its wings, until at last it alighted
on a broad ledge near the summit of the mountain--a place which,
judging by the bleached bones lying on every hand, was the favourite
feeding-place of these birds. This was clearly known to the merchant
who had cast the carcase down, for, no sooner had the vulture deposited
his burden and started to tear at the flesh, than he sprang out with
loud cries and scared it away.
Half smothered by the weight of the slaughtered beast I lost no time in
freeing myself, and soon I struggled to my feet and stood there with my
clothes stained and polluted with its blood. When the merchant saw me
his fear was great; but his disappointment was even greater when, his
fear mastered by the lust of gain, he turned the carcase over and found
no diamonds sticking to the flesh. Pitying him in his sad case--for he
was smiting hand on hand and calling out against fate--I advanced and
said, "Curse not fate, nor fear me, for I am of thy kind, and I hear
with me an abundance of these stones the loss of which thou lamentest;
and they are of the largest that a man can carry upborne by a vulture's
wings. Of these will I give unto thee; therefore forget thy fear and
bury thy disappointment."
On hearing this the merchant thanked me and prayed fervently for me
and my family; and he ceased not to pray for the prolongation of my
life until I had bestowed upon him the largest diamonds I could find
within my garments. While he was thanking me for this there came his
companions, each of whom had cast down a carcase; and, when they had
heard the story of my escape, they congratulated me and bade me come
with them, for they said, "By Allah! thou art greatly favoured by fate,
since none but thee hath been in that valley and escaped to tell the
tale."
After my perilous adventures, and my despairing sojourn in the valley
of serpents, I was filled with the utmost joy at finding my fellow
mortals around me; and, seeing this, they made me welcome among them,
and I partook of their food and wine. We passed the night in a safe
place, and, when morning came, we set forth over the mountain ranges
overlooking the valley of the serpents and at length descended to a
stretch of sea. This we crossed by means of the boats which they had
moored by the shore, and came thus to a low-lying island where grew
camphor trees in abundance, each of which might shield a hundred men
from the sun. Here, too, upon the plains roamed the wild rhinoceros,
of which wonderful tales are told by people who return from unknown
lands. This beast impales an elephant upon its horn with ease, and
wanders thus, with little hindrance to its pasturing, until the fat
of the elephant, melting in the heat of the sun, and flowing down into
its eyes, renders it blind; whereupon it seeks the seashore and lies
down until such time as the rukh may find it and carry both it and the
elephant away as a morsel for its young. But I speak of what I know
and, as I saw naught of this kind, I can but say that I know not.
I continued with my companions for some space, journeying from island
to island and exchanging the diamonds we had acquired for rich
merchandise. And, in passing through many countries unheard of in
this city, I separated from them and went my way, coming at length
to El-Basrah with a princely cargo of goods. Thence I journeyed to
Baghdad, the Abode of Peace, and rejoined my family. Wealth I had
in abundance, and I resorted to my former life of luxury, bestowing
gifts and alms, wearing rich apparel, and eating and drinking with my
companions. This is the story of my second voyage, and by the grace of
God (whose name be exalted!) I will narrate to-morrow the still more
remarkable adventures that befell me on my third voyage.