This is just one section from the ``Arabian Nights'' in the translation of
Sir Richard Francis Burton. Here is an
overview.
The Fifth Voyage Of Sindbad The Seaman
KNOW, O my brothers, that when I had been awhile on shore after my
fourth voyage, and when, in my comfort and pleasures and
merrymakings and in my rejoicing over my large gains and profits, I
had forgotten all I had endured of perils and sufferings, the carnal
man was again seized with the longing to travel and to see foreign
countries and islands. Accordingly I bought costly merchandise
suited to my purpose and, making it up into bales, repaired to
Bassorah, where I walked about the river quay till I found a fine tall
ship, newly builded, with gear unused and fitted ready for sea. She
pleased me, so I bought her and, embarking my goods in her, hired a
master and crew, over whom I set certain of my slaves and servants
as inspectors. A number of merchants also brought their outfits and
paid me freight and passage money. Then, after reciting the fatihah,
we set sail over Allah's pool in all joy and cheer, promising
ourselves a prosperous voyage and much profit.
We sailed from city to city and from island to island and from sea
to sea viewing the cities and countries by which we passed, and
selling and buying in not a few, till one day we came to a great
uninhabited island, deserted and desolate, whereon was a white dome of
biggest bulk half buried in the sands. The merchants landed to examine
this dome, leaving me in the ship, and when they drew near, behold, it
was a huge roc's egg. They fell a-beating it with stones, knowing
not what it was, and presently broke it open, whereupon much water ran
out of it and the young roc appeared within. So they pulled it forth
of the shell and cut its throat and took of it great store of meat.
Now I was in the ship and knew not what they did, but presently one of
the passengers came up to me and said, "O my lord, come and look at
the egg that we thought to be a dome." So I looked, and seeing the
merchants beating it with stones, called out to them: "Stop, stop!
Do not meddle with that egg, or the bird roc will come out and break
our ship and destroy us." But they paid no heed to me and gave not
over smiting upon the egg, when behold, the day grew dark and dun
and the sun was hidden from us, as if some great cloud had passed over
the firmament. So we raised our eyes and saw that what we took for a
cloud was the roc poised between us and the sun, and it was his
wings that darkened the day. When he came and saw his egg broken, he
cried a loud cry, whereupon his mate came flying up and they both
began circling about the ship, crying out at us with voices louder
than thunder. I called to the rais and crew, "Put out to sea and
seek safety in flight, before we be all destroyed!" So the merchants
came on board and we cast off and made haste from the island to gain
the open sea.
When the rocs saw this, they flew off, and we crowded all sail on
the ship, thinking to get out of their country, but presently the
two reappeared and flew after us and stood over us, each carrying in
its claws a huge boulder which it had brought from the mountains. As
soon as the he-roc came up with us, he let fall upon us the rock he
held in his pounces, but the master put about ship, so that the rock
missed her by some small matter and plunged into the waves with such
violence that the ship pitched high and then sank into the trough of
the sea, and the bottom the ocean appeared to us. Then the she-roc let
fall her rock, which was bigger than that of her mate, and as
Destiny had decreed, it fell on the poop of the ship and crushed it,
the rudder flying into twenty pieces. Whereupon the vessel foundered
and all and everything on board were cast into the main. As for me,
I struggled for sweet life till Almighty Allah threw in my way one
of the planks of the ship, to which I clung and bestriding it, fell
a-paddling with my feet.
Now the ship had gone down hard by an island in the midst of the
main, and the winds and waves bore me on till, by permission of the
Most High, they cast me up on the shore of the island, at the last
gasp for toil and distress and half-dead with hunger and thirst. So
I landed more like a corpse than a live man, and throwing myself
down on the beach, lay there awhile till I began to revive and recover
spirits, when I walked about the island, and found it as it were one
of the garths and gardens of Paradise. Its trees, in abundance
dight, bore ripe-yellow fruit for freight, its streams ran clear and
bright, its flowers were fair to scent and to sight, and its birds
warbled with delight the praises of Him to whom belong Permanence
and All-might. So I ate my fill of the fruits and slaked my thirst
with the water of the streams till I could no more, and I returned
thanks to the Most High and glorified Him, after which I sat till
nightfall hearing no voice and seeing none inhabitant. Then I lay
down, well-nigh dead for travail and trouble and terror, and slept
without surcease till morning, when I arose and walked about under the
trees till I came to the channel of a draw well fed by a spring of
running water, by which well sat an old man of venerable aspect,
girt about with a waistcloth made of the fiber of palm fronds. Quoth I
to myself. "Haply this Sheikh is of those who were wrecked in the ship
and hath made his way to this island."
So I drew near to him and saluted him, and he returned my salaam
by signs, but spoke not, and I said to him, "O nuncle mine, what
causeth thee to sit here?" He shook his head and moaned and signed
to me with his hand as who should say, "Take me on thy shoulders and
carry me to the other side of the well channel." And quoth I in my
mind: "I will deal kindly with him and do what he desireth. It may
be I shall win me a reward in Heaven, for he may be a paralytic." So I
took him on my back, and carrying him to the place whereat he pointed,
said to him, "Dismount at thy leisure." But he would not get off my
back, and wound his legs about my neck. I looked at them, and seeing
that they were like a buffalo's hide for blackness and roughness,
was affrighted and would have cast him off, but he clung to me and
gripped my neck with his legs till I was well-nigh choked, the world
grew black in my sight and I fell senseless to the ground like one
dead.
But he still kept his seat and raising his legs, drummed with his
heels and beat harder than palm rods my back and shoulders, till he
forced me to rise for excess of pain. Then he signed to me with his
hand to carry him hither and thither among the trees which bore the
best fruits, and if ever I refused to do his bidding or loitered or
took my leisure, he beat me with his feet more grievously than if I
had been beaten with whips. He ceased not to signal with his hand
wherever he was minded to go, so I carried him about the island,
like a captive slave, and he dismounted not night or day. And whenas
he wished to sleep, he wound his legs about my neck and leaned back
and slept awhile, then arose and beat me, whereupon I sprang up in
haste, unable to gainsay him because of the pain he inflicted on me.
And indeed I blamed myself and sore repented me of having taken
compassion on him, and continued in this condition, suffering
fatigue not to be described, till I said to myself: "I wrought him a
weal and he requited me with my ill. By Allah, never more will I do
any man a service so long as I live!" And again and again I besought
the Most High that I might die, for stress of weariness and misery.
And thus I abode a long while till one day I came with him to a
place wherein was abundance of gourds, many of them dry. So I took a
great dry gourd and cutting open the head, scooped out the inside
and cleaned it, after which I gathered grapes from a vine which grew
hard by and squeezed them into the gourd till it was full of the
juice. Then I stopped up the mouth and set it in the sun, where I left
it for some days until it became strong wine, and every day I used
to drink of it, to comfort and sustain me under my fatigues with
that froward and obstinate fiend. And as often as I drank myself
drunk, I forgot my troubles and took new heart. One day he saw me
and signed to me with his hand, as who should say, "What is that?"
Quoth I, "It is an excellent cordial, which cheereth the heart and
reviveth the spirits." Then, being heated with wine, I ran and
danced with him among the trees, clapping my hands and singing and
making merry, and I staggered under him by design.
When he saw this, he signed to me to give him the gourd that he
might drink, and I feared him and gave it him. So he took it, and
draining it to the dregs, cast it on the ground, whereupon he grew
frolicsome and began to clap hands and jig to and fro on my shoulders,
and he made water upon me so copiously that all my dress was drenched.
But presently, the fumes of the wine rising to his head, he became
helplessly drunk and his side muscles and limbs relaxed and he
swayed to and fro on my back. When I saw that he had lost his senses
for drunkenness, I put my hand to his legs and, loosing them from my
neck, stooped down well-nigh to the ground and threw him at full
length. Then I took up a great stone from among the trees and coming
up to him, smote him therewith on the head with all my might and
crushed in his skull as he lay dead-drunk. Thereupon his flesh and fat
and blood being in a pulp, he died and went to his deserts, The
Fire, no mercy of Allah be upon him!
I then returned, with a heart at ease, to my former station on the
seashore, and abode in that island many days, eating of its fruits and
drinking of its waters and keeping a lookout for passing ships, till
one day, as I sat on the beach recalling all that had befallen me
and saying, "I wonder if Allah will save me alive and restore me to my
home and family and friends!" behold, a ship was making for the island
through the dashing sea and clashing waves. Presently it cast anchor
and the passengers landed, so I made for them, and when they saw me
all hastened up to me and gathering round me, questioned me of my case
and how I came thither. I told them all that had betided me, whereat
they marveled with exceeding marvel and said: "He who rode on thy
shoulder is called the Sheikh-al-Bahr or Old Man of the Sea, and
none ever felt his legs on neck and came off alive but thou, and those
who die under him he eateth. So praised be Allah for thy safety!" Then
they set somewhat of food before me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave
me somewhat of clothes, wherewith I clad myself anew and covered my
nakedness. After which they took me up into the ship and we sailed
days and nights till Fate brought us to a place called the City of
Apes, builded with lofty houses, all of which gave upon the sea, and
it had a single gate studded and strengthened with iron nails.
Now every night as soon as it is dusk the dwellers in this city used
to come forth of the gates and, putting out to sea in boats and ships,
pass the night upon the waters in their fear lest the apes should come
down on them from the mountains. Hearing this, I was sore troubled,
remembering what I had before suffered from the ape kind. Presently
I landed to solace myself in the city, but meanwhile the ship set sail
without me, and I repented of having gone ashore, and calling to
mind my companions and what had befallen me with the apes, first and
after, sat down and fell aweeping and lamenting. Presently one of
the townsfolk accosted me and said to me, "O my lord, meseemeth thou
art a stranger to these parts?" "Yes," answered I, "I am indeed a
stranger and a poor one, who came hither in a ship which cast anchor
here, and I landed to visit the town. But when I would have gone on
board again, I found they had sailed without me." Quoth he, "Come
and embark with us, for if thou lie the night in the city, the apes
will destroy thee." "Hearkening and obedience," replied I, and rising,
straightway embarked with him in one of the boats, whereupon they
pushed off from shore, and anchoring a mile or so from the land, there
passed the night. At daybreak they rowed back to the city, and
landing, went each about his business. Thus they did every night,
for if any tarried in the town by night the apes came down on him
and slew him. As soon as it was day, the apes left the place and ate
of the fruits of the gardens, then went back to the mountains and
slept there till nightfall, when they again came down upon the city.
Now this place was in the farthest part of the country of the
blacks, and one of the strangest things that befell me during my
sojourn in the city was on this wise. One of the company with whom I
passed the night in the boat asked me: "O my lord, thou art apparently
a stranger in these parts. Hast thou any craft whereat thou canst
work?" and I answered: "By Allah, O my brother, I have no trade nor
know I any handicraft, for I was a merchant and a man of money and
substance and had a ship of my own, laden with great store of goods
and merchandise. But it foundered at sea and all were drowned
excepting me, who saved myself on a piece of plank which Allah
vouchsafed to me of His favor."
Upon this he brought me a cotton bag and giving it to me, said:
"Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from the beach and go forth
with a company of the townsfolk to whom I will give a charge
respecting thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may
further thy return voyage to thy native land." Then he carried me to
the beach, where I filled my bag with pebbles large and small, and
presently we saw a company of folk issue from the town, each bearing a
bag like mine, filled with pebbles. To these he committed me,
commending me to their care, and saying: "This man is a stranger, so
take him with you and teach him how to gather, that he may get his
daily bread, and you will earn your reward and recompense in
Heaven." "On our head and eyes be it!" answered they, and bidding me
welcome, fared on with me till we came to a spacious wady, full of
lofty trees with trunks so smooth that none might climb them.
Now sleeping under these trees were many apes, which when they saw
us rose and fled from us and swarmed up among the branches,
whereupon my companions began to pelt them with what they had in their
bags, and the apes fell to plucking of the fruit of the trees and
casting them at the folk. I looked at the fruits they cast at us and
found them to be Indian or coconuts, so I chose out a great tree
full of apes, and going up to it, began to pelt them with stones,
and they in return pelted me with nuts, which I collected, as did
the rest. So that even before I had made an end of my bagful of
pebbles, I had gotten great plenty of nuts. And as soon as my
companions had in like manner gotten as many nuts as they could carry,
we returned to the city, where we arrived at the fag end of day.
Then I went in to the kindly man who had brought me in company with
the nut-gatherers and gave him all I had gotten, thanking him for
his kindness, but he would not accept them, saying, "Sell them and
make profit by the price," and presently he added (giving me the key
of a closet in his house): "Store thy nuts in this safe place and go
thou forth every morning and gather them as thou hast done today,
and choose out the worst for sale and supplying thyself; but lay up
the rest here, so haply thou mayst collect enough to serve thee for
thy return home." "Allah requite thee!" answered I, and did as he
advised me, going out daily with the coconut gatherers, who
commended me to one another and showed me the best-stocked trees. Thus
did I for some time, till I had laid up great store of excellent nuts,
besides a large sum of money, the price of those I had sold. I
became thus at my ease and bought all I saw and had a mind to, and
passed my time pleasantly, greatly enjoying my stay in the city,
till as I stood on the beach one day a great ship steering through the
heart of the sea presently cast anchor by the shore and landed a
company of merchants, who proceeded to sell and buy and barter their
goods for coconuts and other commodities.
Then I went to my friend and told him of the coming of the ship
and how I had a mind to return to my own country, and he said, "
'Tis for thee to decide." So I thanked him for his bounties and took
leave of him. Then, going to the captain of the ship, I agreed with
him for my passage and embarked my coconuts and what else I possessed.
We weighed anchor the same day and sailed from island to island and
sea to sea, and whenever we stopped, I sold and traded with my
coconuts, and the Lord requited me more than I erst had and lost.
Amongst other places, we came to an island abounding in cloves and
cinnamon and pepper, and the country people told me that by the side
of each pepper bunch groweth a great leaf which shadeth it from the
sun and casteth the water off it in the wet season; but when the
rain ceaseth, the leaf turneth over and droopeth down by the side of
the bunch. Here I took in great store of pepper and cloves and
cinnamon, in exchange for coconuts, and we passed thence to the Island
of Al-Usirat, whence cometh the Comorin aloes wood, and thence to
another island, five days' journey in length, where grows the
Chinese lign aloes, which is better than the Comorin. But the people
of this island are fouler of condition and religion than those of
the other, for that they love fornication and wine bibbing, and know
not prayer nor call to prayer.
Thence we came to the pearl fisheries, and I gave the divers some of
my coconuts and said to them, "Dive for my luck and lot!" They did
so and brought up from the deep bright great store of large and
priceless pearls, and they said to me, "By Allah, O my master, thy
luck is a lucky!" Then we sailed on, with the blessing of Allah (Whose
name be exalted!), and ceased not sailing till we arrived safely at
Bassorah. There I abode a little and then went on to Baghdad, where
I entered my quarter and found my house and forgathered with my family
and saluted my friends, who gave me joy of my safe return, and I
laid up all my goods and valuables in my storehouses. Then I
distributed alms and largess and clothed the widow and the orphan
and made presents to my relations and comrades, for the Lord had
requited me fourfold that I had lost. After which I returned to my old
merry way of life and forgot all I had suffered in the great profit
and gain I had made.
Such, then, is the history of my fifth voyage and its wonderments,
and now to supper, and tomorrow, come again and I will tell you what
befell me in my sixth voyage, for it was still more wonderful than
this. (Saith he who telleth the tale): Then he called for food, and
the servants spread the table, and when they had eaten the evening
meal, he bade give Sindbad the Porter a hundred golden dinars and
the landsman returned home and lay him down to sleep, much marveling
at all he had heard. Next morning, as soon as it was light, he
prayed the dawn prayer, and, after blessing Mohammed the Cream of
all creatures, betook himself to the house of Sindbad the Seaman and
wished him a good day. The merchant bade him sit, and talked with
him till the rest of the company arrived. Then the servants spread the
table, and when they had well eaten and drunken and were mirthful
and merry, Sindbad the Seaman began in these words the narrative of
The Sixth Voyage Of Sindbad The Seaman.
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