looking closely at us. Then he advanced, and, laying his hand upon me,
took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round, as a butcher
would turn a sheep's head. When he saw that I had nothing but skin and
bone, he let me go. He took up all the rest one by one, and viewed
them in the same manner. As the captain was the fattest, he held him
with one hand, as I would a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he
then kindled a great fire, roasted, and ate him for his supper. Then
he fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till
morning. As to ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any
rest, and we passed the night in the most painful fear. When day
appeared the giant awoke, went out, and left us in the palace.
The next night we revenged ourselves on the brutish giant in the
following manner. After he had finished his inhuman supper on another
of our seamen, he lay down on his back and fell asleep. As soon as we
heard him snore, nine of the boldest among us, and I, took each of us
a spit, and, putting the points of them into the fire till they were
burning hot, we thrust them into his eye all at once, and blinded him.
The pain made him break out in a frightful yell; he started up, and
stretched out his hand to seize and kill us; but we ran to such places
as he could not reach. After having sought for us in vain, he groped
for the gate, and went out, howling in agony.
We left the palace at once, and came to the shore, where we made some
rafts, each large enough to carry three men. We waited till day before
getting on them, for we hoped that by morning the howling, which we
still heard, would cease, and that the giant would be dead; and if
that happened we meant to stay in the island, and not to risk our
lives upon the rafts. But day had scarcely appeared when we saw our
cruel enemy, with two giants, almost of the same size, leading him;
and a great number were coming before him at a quick pace.
We waited no longer to take to our rafts, and put to sea with all the
speed we could. The giants, seeing this, took up great stones, and,
running to the shore, entered the water up to the middle, and threw so
exactly that they sank all the rafts but that I was upon; and all my
comrades, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our
might, and got out of the reach of the giants. The next morning, after
a night of fear, we were thrown upon an island, where we landed with
much joy, and found good fruit, which refreshed us greatly.
At night we went to sleep on the seashore, but were awakened by the
noise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness, whose scales
made a rustling noise as it moved itself along. It swallowed up one of
my comrades, in spite of his loud cries and his efforts to save
himself. Dashing him several times against the ground, it crushed him,
and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor fellow's bones, though we
had fled far off. The next day, to our great terror, we saw the
serpent again. "O Heaven, to what dangers are we exposed!" I cried.
"We escape from a giant and the waves, only to meet with this!"
The next night, having satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted a
tall tree, hoping to pass the night in safety. But soon the serpent
came hissing to its foot, raised itself up against the trunk, and,
reaching my comrade, who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once and
went off.
In the morning when I came down, I was ready to throw myself into the
sea in my despair. But I resisted this impulse, and collected a great
quantity of small wood, brambles, and dry thorns, and, making them up
into fagots, made a wide circle with them round the tree, and also
tied some of them to the branches over my head. Within this circle I
shut myself up when night came, with such satisfaction as I could get
from having neglected nothing that could save me. The serpent failed
not to come at the usual hour, but was prevented from reaching me by
the rampart I had made. He lay below me till day, like a cat watching
in vain for a mouse that has reached a place of safety. When day
appeared he retired, but I dared not to leave my fort until the sun
arose.
God took pity on my hopeless state, for, just as I was about to cast
myself into the sea, I saw a ship in the distance. I cried aloud and
waved the linen of my turban. Then I was seen, and the captain sent
his boat for me. When I came on board, the merchants and seamen
flocked about me to hear how I came into that deserted island, in a
region where cannibal giants and serpents were known by the oldest
sailors to abound. When I stood before the captain in rags, he gave me
one of his own suits. Looking steadfastly upon him, I knew him to be
the person who, in my second voyage, had left me in the island where I
fell asleep, and sailed without me or sending to seek for me.
"Captain," said I, "look at me, and you may know that I am Sindbad,
whom you left in that desert island."
"God be praised!" he cried, after he had scanned me closely. "I
rejoice that fortune has set right my fault. There are your goods,
which I always took care to preserve." I took them from him, and
thanked him for his care of them.
We remained at sea for some time, touched at several islands, and
landed at last at the island of Salabat, where sandalwood is obtained.
In another island I furnished myself with cloves, cinnamon, and other
spices. After a long voyage, in the course of which I saw such strange
creatures as a tortoise twenty cubits in length and breadth, I arrived
at Bussorah, and thence returned to Bagdad, with so much wealth that I
knew not its extent. I gave a great deal to the poor, and bought
another large estate besides what I had already.
THE FOURTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
After I had rested from the dangers of my third voyage my passion for
trade and novelty soon drove me from home again. When I had settled my
affairs and taken a stock of goods for traffic, I took the route of
Persia, traveled over several provinces, and arrived at a port where I
embarked. It was not long before our ship was wrecked. Several of the
merchants and seamen were drowned, and the cargo was lost.
I had the good fortune, with a few others, to get upon some planks,
and we were carried by the current to an island which lay before us.
There we found fruit and spring water, which saved our lives. Early
the next morning, we explored the island, and saw some houses, which
we approached. As soon as we drew near, we were surrounded by a great
number of negroes, who seized us, shared us among them, and carried us
to their respective abodes.
I and five of my comrades were carried to one place; here they made us
sit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs to us to
eat. My comrades did not notice that the blacks took none of it
themselves, and ate greedily. But I, suspecting some trick, would not
so much as taste it, which happened well for me, for in a little time
I saw that my comrades had lost their senses, and that when they spoke
to me they knew not what they said.
The negroes fed us afterwards with rice to make us fat, for they were
cannibals and meant to eat us. My comrades, who had lost their senses,
ate heartily of it, but I very sparingly. They were devoured one by
one, and I, with my senses entire, as you may readily guess, grew
leaner every day. The fear of death turned all my food into poison. I
fell into a sickness which proved my safety, for the negroes, having
killed and eaten my comrades, and seeing me to be withered, lean, and
sick, put off my death.
Meanwhile I had much liberty, and scarcely any notice was taken of
what I did. Therefore one day, when no one but an old man was left
about the houses, I made my escape. For seven days I traveled,
avoiding places which seemed to be inhabited, and living on cocoanuts,
which served me both for meat and drink. On the eighth day, I came
near the sea, and saw some white people, like myself, gathering
pepper, of which there was a great plenty in that place. To them I
went without fear.
They came to meet me when they saw me, and asked me, in Arabic, who I
was and whence I came. I was overjoyed to hear them speak in my own
language, and told them of my shipwreck, and how I fell into the hands
of the negroes.
"Those negroes," replied they, "eat men. By what miracle did you
escape?"
Then I told them what I have just told you, and they were greatly
surprised. When they had finished gathering pepper, they took me with
them to the island whence they had come, and presented me to their
king, who was a good prince. He listened with surprise to the story of
my adventures, and gave me clothes, and commanded that care be taken
of me.
The island was well peopled, and the capital a place of great trade.
The prince treated me with much kindness, and I, delighted with such a
retreat after my misfortunes, was soon looked upon rather as a native
than as a stranger. I observed one thing which seemed to me very
strange. All the people, even the king, rode horses without bridle or
stirrups. One day I found workmen who made, under my directions, a
saddle with stirrups and a bit. These I presented to the king, who was
so pleased with them that he made me large presents. I made several
others for the ministers and chief officers of his household, which
gained me great repute and regard.
One day the king, to whom I constantly paid court, said,--
"Sindbad, I love thee; I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou
must grant. I have a mind thou shouldst marry, that so thou mayst stay
with us, and think no more of thy own country."
I durst not resist the prince's will, and soon I was married to one of
the ladies of his court, noble, beautiful, and rich. We lived together
in perfect harmony, but I could not forget Bagdad, and planned to make
my escape as soon as might be.
At this time the wife of one of my neighbors, with whom I had made a
very strict friendship, fell sick and died. I went to comfort him in
his sorrow, and said as soon as I saw him, "God preserve you and grant
you a long life."
"Alas!" replied he, "how may that be? I have not above an hour to
live, for I must be buried this day with my wife. That is a law in
this island. The living husband is buried with the dead wife, and the
living wife with the dead husband."
While he was telling me of this barbarous custom, the very account of
which chilled my blood, his kindred, friends, and neighbors came to
assist at the funeral. They dressed the corpse of the woman in her
richest robes and all her jewels, as if it had been her wedding-day;
then they placed her on an open bier, and began their march to the
place of burial. The husband walked first, next to the dead body. When
they reached a high mountain, they took up a large stone, which formed
the mouth of a deep pit, and let down the body with all its apparel
and jewels. Then the husband, embracing his kindred and friends, let
himself be placed on another bier, with a pot of water, and seven
small loaves, and was led down in the same manner. The mouth of the
pit was again covered with the stone, and the company returned.
I describe all this the more carefully, because I in a few weeks' time
was to be the chief actor on a similar occasion. Alas! my own wife
fell sick and died. I made every plea I could to the king not to
expose me, a foreigner, to this inhuman law. I appealed in vain. The
king and all his court, with the chief persons of the city, sought to
soften my sorrow by honoring the funeral with their presence; and when
the ceremony was finished I was lowered into the pit with a vessel
full of water and seven loaves. As I neared the bottom, I saw, by the
aid of a little light that came from above, what sort of place it was.
It seemed an endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathoms deep.
I lived for some time upon my bread and water, when one day, just as I
was nearly exhausted, I heard something tread, and breathing or
panting as it moved. I followed the sound. The animal seemed to stop
sometimes, but always fled and breathed hard as I approached. I
pursued it till at last I saw a light, like a star. I went on,
sometimes lost sight of it, but always found it again, and at last
discovered that it came through a hole in the rock, which I got
through, and found myself, to my great joy, upon the seashore. I fell
upon the shore to thank God for his mercy, and shortly afterwards saw
a ship making for the place where I was. I made a sign with the linen
of my turban, and called to the crew as loud as I could. They heard
me, and sent a boat to bring me on board. It was fortunate for me that
they did not inspect the place where they found me, but bore me away
at once.
We passed by several islands,--the Isle of Bells, Serendib, and Kela,
where lead mines are found, also Indian canes and excellent camphor.
The people of these places are so barbarous that they still eat human
flesh. We touched at several other ports, and finished our traffic,
and at last I arrived happily at Bagdad. Out of gratitude to God for
his mercies, I gave large sums towards the support of several mosques
and to the poor, and enjoyed myself with my friends.
THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
All that I had undergone could not cure me of my desire to make new
voyages. Therefore I bought goods, departed with them for the best
seaport, and, that I might have a ship at my own command, waited till
one was built for me. As I had not goods enough of my own to load her,
I took with me several merchants, of different nations, with their
wares.
We sailed with the first fair wind, and the first place we touched at,
after some time, was a desert island, where we found an egg of a roc,
equal in size to the one I have mentioned already. There was a young
roc in it, just ready to be hatched, and its beak had begun to break
the egg.
The merchants who landed with me broke the egg with hatchets, and made
a hole in it, pulled out the young roc piecemeal, and roasted it. I
had begged them in vain not to meddle with the egg.
Scarcely had they finished their repast, when there appeared in the
air far off two great clouds. The captain of my ship, knowing by
experience what they meant, said they were the male and female parents
of the roc, and urged us to reëmbark with all speed.
The two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which they redoubled
when they saw the egg broken and their young one gone. They flew back
in the direction they had come, and were gone for some time, while we
made all the sail we could, to try to prevent that which unhappily
befell us.
They soon returned, and we saw that each of them carried in its talons
a huge rock. When they came directly over my ship, they hovered, and
one of them let go his rock; but by the quickness of the steersman it
missed us, and fell into the sea. The other so exactly hit the middle
of the ship as to split it into pieces. The seamen and merchants were
all crushed to death or fell into the sea. I myself was of the number
of the latter; but, as I came up again, I fortunately caught hold of a
piece of the wreck, and swimming, sometimes with one hand and
sometimes with the other, but always holding fast to the plank, the
wind and the tide favoring me, I came to an island, and got safely
ashore.
[Illustration: THE TWO ROCS APPROACHED WITH A FRIGHTFUL NOISE, WHICH
THEY REDOUBLED WHEN THEY SAW THE EGG BROKEN. WE SAW THAT EACH OF THEM
CARRIED IN ITS TALONS A HUGE ROCK. WHEN THEY CAME DIRECTLY OVER MY
SHIP, THEY HOVERED, AND ONE OF THEM LET GO HIS ROCK; BUT BY THE
QUICKNESS OF THE STEERSMAN IT MISSED US, AND FELL INTO THE SEA. THE
OTHER SO EXACTLY HIT THE MIDDLE OF THE SHIP]
I sat down upon the grass to rest, and then went into the island to
explore it. It seemed to be a delicious garden. Everywhere I found
fruit and streams of fresh, pure water. Of these I ate and drank.
When I had gone a little way into the island, I saw an old man who
appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a stream,
and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like
myself. I went towards him and saluted him, but he only slightly bowed
his head. I asked him why he sat so still, but, instead of answering
me, he made a sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over
the brook.
I believed him really to stand in need of my help, took him upon my
back, and, having carried him over, bade him get down. To that end, I
stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of doing so--and
I laugh every time I think of it--the old man, who to me appeared
quite feeble, threw his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat astride upon
my shoulders, and held my throat so tight that I thought he would have
strangled me, and I fainted away.
In spite of my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow still kept his
seat upon my neck. When I got my breath again, he thrust one of his
feet against my side, and struck me so rudely with the other, that he
forced me to rise up against my will. Then he made me carry him under
the trees, and obliged me now and then to stop, that he might gather
and eat fruit. He never left his seat all day; and when I lay down to
rest at night, he laid himself down with me, holding still fast about
my neck. Every morning he pinched me to make me awake, and afterwards
forced me to get up and walk, and spurred me with his feet.
One day I found several dry gourds that had fallen from a tree. I took
a large one, and, after cleaning it, pressed into it some juice of
grapes, which abounded in the island. Having filled the gourd, I put
it by, and, going for it some days after, tasted and found the wine so
good that it gave me new vigor, and so raised my spirits that I began
to sing and dance as I carried my burden.
The old man, noticing the effect of the wine upon me, made me a sign
to give him some of it. I handed him the gourd, and, the liquor
pleasing his palate, he drank it off. As there was some quantity of
it, he soon began to sing, and to move from side to side in his seat
upon my shoulders, and by degrees to loosen his legs from about me.
Finding that he did not press me as before, I threw him upon the
ground, where he lay without motion; then I took up a great stone and
slew him.
I was extremely glad to be thus freed forever from this troublesome
fellow. I now walked towards the beach, where I met the crew of a ship
that had cast anchor, to take in water. When I told them of my
adventure, they said, "You fell into the hands of the Old Man of the
Sea, and are the first who ever escaped strangling. He never quitted
those he had once embraced till he had destroyed them, and many are
the men he has slain."
Their captain received me with great kindness, and after some days'
sail we arrived at the harbor of a great city, the houses of which
overhung the sea.
With some of the people of this town I went to gather cocoanuts after
their own method. When we reached a thick forest of cocoanut trees, we
saw a great number of apes of several sizes, which fled as soon as
they saw us, and climbed to the tops of the trees with amazing
swiftness.
The merchants with whom I was gathered stones, and threw them at the
apes on the trees. I did the same; and the apes, out of revenge, threw
cocoanuts at us so fast and with such gestures as to show their anger
clearly. We gathered up the cocoanuts, and from time to time threw
stones to provoke the apes. In this way we filled our bags with
cocoanuts, and by degrees I got enough to produce me no small sum of
money.
We set sail, and traded in various islands, at one of which I hired
divers and with other merchants went a-pearl-fishing. Some of the
pearls they brought me up were very large and pure. Then I returned to
Bagdad, and gave a tenth of my gains in alms, and rested from my
fatigues.
THE SIXTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
I know, my friends, that you will wish to hear how, after having been
shipwrecked and having escaped so many dangers, I could resolve again
to tempt fortune, and expose myself to new hardships. When I reflect
upon it now it seems that I must have been led by destiny, from which
none can escape. Be this as it may, after a year's rest, I prepared
for a sixth voyage, though my kindred and friends did all in their
power to dissuade me.
Once more I traveled through several provinces of Persia and the
Indies, and arrived at a seaport, where I embarked on a ship bound on
a long voyage, in which the captain and the pilot lost their course.
Suddenly we saw the captain quit his rudder, lamenting loudly, pulling
his beard and beating his head like a madman. In reply to our
questions, he answered,--
"A rapid current carries the ship along with it, and we shall all
perish in less than a quarter of an hour. Pray God to deliver us from
this peril. We cannot escape, if He does not take pity on us."
At these words he ordered the sails to be lowered, but all the ropes
broke, and the current carried the ship to the foot of a mountain,
where she struck and went to pieces, but in such a way that we saved
our lives, our provisions, and the best of our goods.
The foot of the mountain was covered with wrecks, with a vast number
of human bones, and goods and riches of all kinds beyond belief. In
all other places it is usual for rivers to run into the sea; but here
a river of fresh water runs from the sea into a dark cavern, with a
very high and spacious entrance. What is most strange in this place is
that the stones of the mountain are of crystal, rubies, and other
precious stones. Here also are ambergris and wood of aloes.
It is not possible for ships to get off from this place when once they
approach within a certain distance. If the wind is from the sea, this
and the current drive them on. If it is a land wind, it is stopped by
the height of the mountain, which causes a calm, so that the force of
the current carries them ashore. What is worse, it is no more possible
to ascend the mountain than to escape by sea. Here we remained in a
state of despair, expecting death every day.
When we landed, we divided the food equally, and thus each one lived a
longer or shorter time, according to the use he made of his share. I
outlived my comrades, and, when I buried the last of them, had so
little food left that I dug a grave for myself. But God once more took
pity on me, and put it in my mind to go to the bank of the river which
ran into the cavern. I said to myself,--
"This underground river must somewhere have an outlet. If I make a
raft, and leave myself to the current, it will convey me to some
inhabited country, or I shall perish. If I be drowned, I only change
one kind of death for another."
Out of pieces of timber and cables from the wrecks, I soon made myself
a solid raft. Then I loaded it carefully with some chests of rubies,
emeralds, ambergris, rock crystal, and bales of rich stuffs, and went
on board with two oars that I had made, leaving the raft to the course
of the river, and resigning myself to the will of God.
As soon as I entered the cavern, I lost all light, and the stream
carried me I knew not whither. Thus I floated on, eating only enough
to keep myself alive. But the food was soon spent, and I lost my
senses. When I revived, I found myself on the brink of a river, where
my raft was tied, amidst a great number of negroes. When I saluted
them, they spoke to me, but I did not understand their tongue. In my
joy I recited aloud the following words in Arabic,--
"Call upon the Almighty. He will help thee; shut thine eyes, and while
thou art asleep, God will change thy bad fortune into good."
One of the negroes, who understood Arabic, came forward and told me
that they had seen my raft, and fastened it until I should awake.
Through him I told the others, at their request, of all that had
befallen me. The story was so strange that they said I must tell it to
their king myself. Then they mounted me on a horse, and some led the
way, and some followed with my raft and cargo.
The king received me kindly, and bade me sit by his side while I told
him what I have told you. When my bales were opened in his presence,
he marveled at what they contained, above all at the rubies and
emeralds, which surpassed any in his treasury.
When I saw with what pleasure he viewed them, I fell at his feet and
said,--
"Sire, not only is my person at your majesty's service, but the cargo
of the raft, and I beg of you to dispose of it as your own."
But he would take none of my goods, and promised that I should leave
his realm richer than I came. His officers were charged to serve me at
his expense, and every day I paid the king my court, and saw what was
most worthy of notice in the city. By way of devotion I made a
pilgrimage to the place where Adam was confined after his banishment
from Paradise.