"When I [returned from my sixth voyage, I] forswore travel and renounced commerce, saying in
myself, 'What hath befallen me sufficeth me.' So I abode at home and passed my time in pleasance
and delight, till, one day, as I sat at mine ease, plying the wine-cup [with my friends], there came a
knocking at the door. The doorkeeper opened and found without one of the Khalif's pages, who
came in to me and said, 'The Commander of the Faithful biddeth thee to him.' So I accompanied
him to the presence of the Khalif and kissing the earth before him, saluted him. He bade me
welcome and entreated me with honour and said to me, 'O Sindbad, I have an occasion with thee,
which I would have thee accomplish for me.' So I kissed his hand and said, 'O my lord, what is the
lord's occasion with the slave?' Quoth he, 'I would have thee go to the King of Serendib and carry
him our letter and our present, even as he sent us a present and a letter.'
At this I trembled and replied, 'By the Most Great God, O my lord, I have taken a loathing to
travel, and whenas any maketh mention to me of travel by sea or otherwise, I am like to swoon
for affright, by reason of that which hath befallen me and what I have suffered of hardships and
perils. Indeed, I have no jot of inclination left for this, and I have sworn never again to leave
Baghdad.' And I related to him all that had befallen me, first and last; whereat he marvelled
exceedingly and said, 'By the Most Great God, O Sindbad, never was heard from time
immemorial of one whom there betided that which hath betided thee and well may it behove thee
never again to mention travel! But for my sake go thou this once and carry my letter to the King
of Serendib and return in haste, if it be the will of God the Most High, so we may not remain
indebted to the king for favour and courtesy.' And I answered him with 'Hearkening and
obedience,' for that I dared not gainsay his commandment
Then he gave me the present and letter and money for my expenses. So I kissed his hand and
going out from before him, repaired to the sea-coast, where I took ship with many other
merchants and we sailed days and nights, till, after a prosperous voyage, God vouchsafed us a
safe arrival at the island of Serendib. We landed and went up to the city, where I carried the letter
and present to the king and kissing the earth fell [prostrate before him], invoking blessings on him.
When he saw me, 'Welcome to thee, O Sindbad!' quoth he. 'By the Most Great God, we have
longed for thy sight and the day is blessed on which we behold thee once more.' Then he took my
hand and seating me by his side, welcomed me and entreated me friendly and rejoiced in me with
an exceeding joy; after which he fell to conversing with me and caressing me and said, 'What
brings thee to us, O Sindbad?' I kissed his hand and thanking him, said, 'O my lord, I bring thee a
present and a letter from my lord the Khalif Haroun er Reshid.' Then I brought out to him the
present and the letter and he read the latter and accepted the former, rejoicing therein with an
exceeding joy.
Now this present was a horse worth ten thousand dinars and all its housings and trappings of gold
set with jewels, and a book and five different kinds of suits of apparel and an hundred pieces of
fine white linen cloths of Egypt and silks of Suez and Cufa and Alexandria and a crimson carpet
and another of Tebaristan[FN#217] make and an hundred pieces of cloth of silk and flax mingled
and a goblet of glass of the time of the Pharaohs, a finger-breadth thick and a span wide,
amiddleward which was the figure of a lion and before him an archer kneeling, with his arrow
drawn to the head, and the table of Solomon son of David,[FN#218] on whom be peace; and the
contents of the letter were as follows: 'From the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, unto whom and to his
forefathers (on whom be peace) God hath vouchsafed the rank of the noble and exceeding glory,
to the august, God-aided Sultan, greeting. Thy letter hath reached us and we rejoiced therein and
have sent thee the book [called] "The Divan of Hearts and the Garden of Wits," of the translation
whereof when thou hast taken cognizance, its excellence will be established in thine eyes; and the
superscription of this book we have made unto thee. Moreover, we send thee divers other kingly
presents;[FN#219] so do thou favour us by accepting them, and peace be on thee!'
When the king had read this letter, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and bestowed on me great
store of presents and entreated me with the utmost honour. Some days after this, I sought of him
leave to depart, but he granted it not to me save after much pressing. So I took leave of him and
shipped with divers merchants and others, intending for my own country and having no desire for
travel or traffic. We sailed on, without ceasing, till we had passed many islands; but, one day, as
we fared on over a certain tract of the sea, there came forth upon us a multitude of boats full of
men like devils, clad in chain-mail and armed with swords and daggers and bows and arrows, and
surrounded us on every side. They entreated us after the cruellest fashion, smiting and wounding
and slaying those who made head against them, and taking the ship, with the crew and all that
were therein, carried us to an island, where they sold us all for a low price. A rich man bought me
and taking me into his house, gave me to eat and drink and clothed me and entreated me kindly,
till my heart was comforted and I was somewhat restored.
One day my master said to me, 'Knowest thou not some art or handicraft?' And I answered,
saying, 'O my lord, I am a merchant and know nought but traffic.' Quoth he, 'Knowest thou how
to shoot with a bow and arrows?' And I replied, 'Yes, I know that.' So he brought me a bow and
arrows and mounting me behind him on an elephant, set out with me, at the last of the night, and
fared on till we came to a forest of great trees; whereupon he made me climb a high and stout tree
and giving me the bow and arrows, said to me, 'Sit here, and when the elephants come hither by
day, shoot at them, so haply thou shalt hit one of them; and if any of them fall, come at nightfall
and tell me.' Then he went away and left me trembling and fearful. I abode hidden in the tree till
the sun rose, when the elephants came out and fared hither and thither among the trees, and I
gave not over shooting at them with arrows, till I brought down one of them. So, at eventide, I
went and told my master, who rejoiced in me and rewarded me; then he came and carried away
the dead elephant.
On this wise I abode a while of time, every day shooting an elephant, whereupon my master came
and carried it away, till, one day, as I sat hidden in the tree, there came up elephants without
number, roaring and trumpeting, so that meseemed the earth trembled for the din. They all made
for the tree whereon I was and the girth whereof was fifty cubits, and compassed it about. Then a
huge elephant came up to the tree and winding his trunk about it, tugged at it, till he plucked it up
by the roots and cast it to the ground. I fell among the elephants, and the great elephant, coming
up to me, as I lay aswoon for affright, wound his trunk about me and tossing me on to his back,
made off with me, accompanied by the others; nor did he leave faring on with me, and I absent
from the world, till he brought me to a certain place and casting me down from off his back, went
away, followed by the rest. I lay there awhile, till my trouble subsided and my senses returned to
me, when I sat up, deeming myself in a dream, and found myself on a great hill, stretching far and
wide and all of elephants' bones. So I knew that this was their burial-place and that they had
brought me thither on account of the bones.
Then I arose and fared on a day and a night, till I came to the house of my master, who saw me
pale and disfeatured for fear and hunger. He rejoiced in my return and said to me, 'By Allah, thou
hast made my heart ache on thine account; for I went and finding the tree torn up by the roots,
doubted not but the elephants had destroyed thee. Tell me then how it was with thee.' So I told
him what had befallen me and he marvelled exceedingly and rejoiced, saying, 'Knowst thou where
this hill is?' 'Yes, O my lord,' answered I. So he took me up with him on an elephant and we rode
till we came to the elephants' burial-place.
When he saw those many bones, he rejoiced therein with an exceeding joy and carried away what
he had a mind to thereof. Then we returned to his house and he entreated me with increased
favour and said to me, 'Verily, O my son, thou hast directed us to a passing great gain, may God
requite thee with all good! Thou art free for the sake of God the Most High. Every year these
elephants used to kill of us much people on account of these bones; but God delivered thee from
them and thou hast done us good service in the matter of these bones, of which thou hast given us
to know; wherefore thou meritest a great recompense, and thou art free.' 'O my lord,' answered I,
'may God free thy neck from the fire! I desire of thee that thou give me leave to return to my own
country.' 'So be it,' replied he; 'but we have a fair, on occasion whereof the merchants come hither
to us and take of us these elephants' bones. The time of the fair is now at hand, and when they
come to us, I will send thee with them and give thee somewhat to bring thee to thine own
country.'
I blessed him and thanked him and abode with him in all honour and consideration, till, after a
little, the merchants came, even as he had said, and bought and sold and bartered; and when they
were about to depart, my master came to me and said, 'The merchants are about to depart; arise,
that thou mayst go with them to thy country.' So I betook myself to the folk, and behold, they had
bought great store of elephants' bones and bound up their loads and embarked in the ship; and my
master took passage for me with them and paid my hire and all that was chargeable upon
me.[FN#220] Moreover, he gave me great store of goods and we set sail and passed from island
to island, till we traversed the sea and arrived at the port of our destination; whereupon the
merchants brought out their goods and sold; and I also brought out that which was with me and
sold it at a good profit.
Then I bought of the best and finest of the produce and rarities of the country and all I had a mind
to and a good hackney[FN#221] and we set out again and traversed the deserts from country to
country till we came to Baghdad. Then I went in to the Khalif and saluted him and kissed his
hand; after which I acquainted him with all that had passed and that which had befallen me. He
rejoiced in my deliverance and thanked God the Most High; then he caused write my story in
letters of gold and I betook myself to my house and foregathered with my brethren and family.
This, then," added Sindbad, "is the last of that which befell me in my travels, and praise be to
God, the One, the Creator, the Maker!"
When Sindbad the Sailor had made an end of his story, he bade his servant give the porter an
hundred mithcals of gold and said to him, "How now, my brother! Hast ever in the world heard of
one whom such calamities have betided as have betided me and hath any suffered that which I
have suffered of afflictions or undergone that which I have undergone of hardships? Wherefore it
behoveth that I have these pleasures in requital of that which I have undergone of travail and
humiliations." So the porter came forward and kissing the merchant's hands, said to him, "O my
lord, thou hast indeed suffered grievous perils and hast well deserved these bounteous favours
[that God hath vouchsafed thee]. Abide, then, O my lord, in thy delights and put away from thee
[the remembrance of] thy troubles; and may God the Most High crown thine enjoyments with
perfection and accomplish thy days in pleasance until the hour of thine admission [to His mercy]!"
Therewithal Sindbad the Sailor bestowed largesse upon him and made him his boon-companion,
and he abode, leaving him not night or day, to the last of their lives. Praise be to God the
Glorious, the Omnipotent, the Strong, the Exalted of estate, Creator of heaven and earth and land
and sea, to whom belongeth glorification! Amen. Amen. Praise be to God, the Lord of the
Worlds! Amen.