This discourse of the captain, said Sindbad, put the whole company
into a great consternation; and we found very soon, to our cost,
that what he had told us was but too true: an innumerable multitude
of frightful savages, covered all over with red hair, and about two
feet high, [18] came swimming towards us, and encompassed our ship
in a little time. They spoke to us as they came near, but we
understood not their language; they climbed up the sides of the ship
with so much agility as surprised us. We beheld all this with mortal
fear, without daring to offer to defend ourselves, or to speak one
word to divert them from their mischievous design. In short, they
took down our sails, cut the cable, and hauled to the shore, made us
all get out, and afterwards carried the ship into another island,
from whence they came. All travellers carefully avoided that island
where they left us, it being very dangerous to stay there, for a
reason you shall hear anon; but we were forced to bear our
affliction with patience.
We went forward into the island, where we found some fruits and
herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected
nothing but death. As we went on, we perceived at a distance a great
pile of building, and made towards it. We found it to be a palace,
well built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony of two leaves,
which we thrust open. We entered the court, where we saw before us a
vast apartment, with a porch, having on one side a heap of men’s
bones, and on the other a vast number of roasting spits. We trembled
at this spectacle, and being weary with travelling, our legs failing
under us, we fell to the ground, being seized with deadly fear, and
lay a long time motionless.
The sun was set, and whilst we were in the lamentable condition just
mentioned, the gate of the apartment opened with a great noise, and
there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as high as a tall
palm tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his
forehead, where it looked as red as a burning coal. His foreteeth
were very long and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as
deep as that of a horse; his upper lip hung down upon his breast;
his ears resembled those of an elephant, [19] and covered his
shoulders; and his nails were as long and crooked as the talons of
the greatest birds. At the sight of so frightful a giant we lost all
sense, and lay like dead men. [20]
At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch,
looking at us. When he had considered us well, he advanced towards
us, and laying his hands upon me, he took me up by the nape of my
neck, and turned me round as a butcher would do a sheep’s head.
After having viewed me well, and perceiving me to be so lean that I
had nothing but skin and bone, he let me go. He took up all the
rest, one by one, viewed them in the same manner, and the captain
being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I would do a
sparrow, and thrusting a spit through him, kindled a great fire,
roasted, and eat him in his apartment for his supper; which being
done, he returned to his porch, where he lay and fell asleep,
snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till morning. For our
parts, it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest; so that we
passed the night in the most cruel fear that can be imagined. Day
being come, the giant awaked, got up, went out, and left us in the
palace.
When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melancholy silence
we had kept all night, and every one grieving more than another, we
made the palace resound with our complaints and groans. Though there
were a great many of us, and we had but one enemy, we had not at
first the presence of mind to think of delivering ourselves from him
by his death. This enterprise, however, though hard to put in
execution, was the only design we ought naturally to have formed.
We thought of several other things, but determined nothing; so that
submitting to what it should please God to order concerning us, we
spent the day in running about the island for fruit and herbs to
sustain our lives. When evening came, we sought for a place to lie
in, but found none; so that we were forced, whether we would or not,
to return to the palace.
The giant failed not to come back, and supped once more upon one of
our companions; after which he slept, and snored till day, and then
went out, and left us as formerly. Our condition was so very
terrible, that several of my comrades designed to throw themselves
into the sea, rather than die so strange a death; and those who were
of this mind argued with the rest to follow their example: upon
which one of the company answered, that we were forbidden to destroy
ourselves; but allowing it to be lawful, it was more reasonable to
think of a way to rid ourselves of the barbarous tyrant who designed
so cruel a death for us.
Having thought of a project for that end, I communicated the same to
my comrades, who approved it. Brethren, said I, you know there is a
great deal of timber floating upon the coast: if you will be advised
by me, let us make several floats of it that may carry us; and when
they are done, leave them there till we think fit to make use of
them. In the mean time we will execute the design to deliver
ourselves from the giant; and if we succeed, we may stay here with
patience till some ship pass by, that may carry us out of this fatal
island; but if it happen to miscarry, we will speedily get to our
floats, and put to sea. I confess, that by exposing ourselves to the
fury of the waves, we run a risk of losing our lives; but if we do,
is it not better to be buried in the sea, than in the entrails of
this monster, who has already devoured two of us? My advice was
relished, and we made floats capable of carrying three persons each.
We returned to the palace towards the evening, and the giant arrived
a little while after. We were forced to conclude on seeing another
of our comrades roasted. But at last we revenged ourselves on the
brutish giant thus: After he had made an end of his cursed supper,
he lay down on his back and fell asleep. As soon as we heard him
snore, [21] according to his custom, nine of the boldest among us,
and myself, 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 occasioned him to make a
frightful cry, and to get up and stretch out his hands, in order to
sacrifice some of us to his rage: but we ran to such places as he
could not find us; and after having sought for us in vain, he groped
for the gate, and went out, howling dreadfully. --Scheherazade
stopped here, but next night resumed her story thus: