Sir, said she to the sultan of the Indies, Sindbad continuing his
story, told the company, We were all stripped, and instead of our
own clothes, they gave us sorry rags, and carried us into a remote
island, where they sold us.
I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought
me, carried me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely
for a slave. Some days after, not knowing who I was, he asked me if
I understood any trade? I answered, that I was no mechanic, but a
merchant, and that the corsairs who sold me, robbed me of all I had.
But tell me, replied he, can you shoot with a bow? I answered, that
the bow was one of my exercises in my youth, and I had not yet
forgot it. Then he gave me a bow and arrows, and taking me behind
him upon an elephant, carried me to a vast forest some leagues from
the town. We went a great way into the forest, and when he thought
fit to stop, he bid me alight; then showing me a great tree, Climb
up that tree, said he, and shoot at the elephants as you see them
pass by, for there is a prodigious number of them in this forest,
and if any of them fall, come and give me notice of it. Having
spoken thus, he left me victuals, and returned to the town, and I
continued upon the tree all night.
I saw no elephant during that time, but next morning, as soon as the
sun was up, I saw a great number: I shot several arrows among them,
and at last one of the elephants fell; the rest retired immediately,
and left me at liberty to go and acquaint my patron with my booty.
When I had told him the news, he gave me a good meal, commended my
dexterity, and caressed me highly. We went afterwards together to
the forest, where we dug a hole for the elephant; my patron
designing to return when it was rotten, and to take his teeth, &c.
to trade with.
I continued this game for two months, and killed an elephant every
day, getting sometimes upon one tree, and sometimes upon another.
One morning, as I looked for the elephants, I perceived with an
extreme amazement, that, instead of passing by me across the forest
as usual, they stopped, and came to me with a horrible noise, in
such a number that the earth was covered with them, and shook under
them. They encompassed the tree where I was, with their trunks
extended, and their eyes all fixed upon me. At this frightful
spectacle I continued immoveable, and was so much frightened, that
my bow and arrows fell out of my hand.
My fears were not in vain; for after the elephants had stared upon
me some time, one of the largest of them put his trunk round the
foot of the tree, and pulled so strong, that he plucked it up, and
threw it on the ground; I fell with the tree, and the elephant
taking me up with his trunk, laid me on his back, where I sat more
like one dead than alive, with my quiver on my shoulder: he put
himself at the head of the rest, who followed him in troops, and
carried me to a place where he laid me down on the ground, and
retired with all his companions. Conceive, if you can, the condition
I was in: I thought myself to be in a dream; at last, after having
lain some time, and seeing the elephants gone, I got up, and found I
was upon a long and broad hill, covered all over with the bones and
teeth of elephants. I confess to you that this object furnished me
with abundance of reflections. I admired the instinct of those
animals; I doubted not but that was their burying-place, and that
they carried me thither on purpose to tell me that I should forbear
to persecute them, since I did it only for their teeth. I did not
stay on the hill, but turned towards the city, and, after having
travelled a day and a night, I came to my patron; I met no elephant
in my way, which made me think they had retired farther into the
forest, to leave me at liberty to come back to the hill without any
obstacle.
As soon as my patron saw me; Ah, poor Sindbad, said he, I was in
great trouble to know what had become of you. I have been at the
forest, where I found a tree newly pulled up, and a bow and arrows
on the ground, and after having sought for you in vain, I despaired
of ever seeing you more. Pray, tell me what befell you, and by what
good hap thou art still alive. I satisfied his curiosity, and going
both of us next morning to the hill, he found to his great joy that
what I had told him was true. We loaded the elephant upon which we
came with as many teeth as he could carry; and when we were
returned, Brother, said my patron, for I will treat you no more as
my slave, after having made such a discovery as will enrich me, God
bless you with all happiness and prosperity. I declare before him
that I give you your liberty. I concealed from you what I am now
going to tell you.
The elephants of our forest have every year killed us a great many
slaves, whom we sent to seek ivory. For all the cautions we could
give them, those crafty animals killed them one time or other. God
has delivered you from their fury, and has bestowed that favour upon
you only. It is a sign that he loves you, and has use for your
service in the world. You have procured me incredible gain. We could
not have ivory formerly, but by exposing the lives of our slaves,
and now our whole city is enriched by your means. Do not think I
pretend to have rewarded you by giving you your liberty; I will also
give you considerable riches. I would engage all our city to
contribute towards making your fortune, but I will have the glory of
doing it myself.
To this obliging discourse I replied, Patron, God preserve you. Your
giving me my liberty is enough to discharge what you owe me, and I
desire no other reward for the service I had the good fortune to do
to you and your city, but leave to return to my own country. Very
well, said he, the monsoon [53] will in a little time bring ships
for ivory. I will send you home then, and give you wherewith to bear
your charges. I thanked him again for my liberty, and his good
intentions towards me. I staid with him, expecting the monsoon; and
during that time, we made so many journeys to the hill, that we
filled all our warehouses with ivory. The other merchants, who
traded in it, did the same thing, for it could not be long concealed
from them. At these words Scheherazade, perceiving day, broke off.