 Section 22 of the Arabian Knights Entertainment's Volume 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Lucy LaFaro, New South Wales, Australia. The Arabian Knights Entertainment's Volume 1 by Anonymous. Translated by Dr Jonathan Scott. Section 22. I soon lost in the pleasures of life the remembrance of the perils I had encountered in my two former voyages. And being in the flower of my age, I grew weary of living without business and hardening myself against the thought of any danger I might incur. Went from Baghdad to Busora with the richest commodities of the country. There I embarked again with some merchants. We made a long voyage and touched at several ports where we carried on a considerable trade. One day, being out in the main ocean, we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest which drove us from our course. The tempest continued several days and brought us before the port of an island which the captain was very unwilling to enter, but we were obliged to cast anchor. When we had furled our sails, the captain told us that this and some other neighbouring islands were inhabited by hairy savages who would speedily attack us and though they were but dwarfs, yet our misfortune was such that we must make no resistance for they were more in number than the locusts, and if we happened to kill one of them they would all fall upon us and destroy us. This account of the captain continued to seem bad, put the whole company into great consternation and we soon found that what he had told us was but too true. An innumerable multitude of frightful savages, about two feet high, covered all over with red hair came swimming towards us and encompassed our ship. They spoke to us as they came near, but we understood not their language. They climbed up the sides of the ship with such agility as surprised us. We beheld all this with dread, but without daring to defend ourselves or to divert them from their mischievous design. In short, they took down our sails, cut the cable and hauled into the shore, made us all get out and afterwards carried the ship into another island from whence they had come. All voyages carefully avoided the island where they left us. It being very dangerous to stay there, for a reason you shall presently hear, but we were forced to bear our affliction with patience. We went forward into the island where we gathered some fruits and herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could, but we expected nothing but death. As we advanced we perceived at a distance a vast pile of building and made towards it. We found it to be a palace elegantly built and very lofty with a gate of ebony of two leaves which we forced open. We entered the court where we saw before us a large apartment with a porch having on one side a heap of human bones and on the other a vast number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle and being fatigued with travelling fell to the ground, seized with deadly apprehension and lay a long time motionless. The sun set and whilst we were in the lamentable condition I have described, the gate of the apartment opened with a loud crash and there came out the horrible figure of a black man as tall as a lofty 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 and covered his shoulders and his nails were as long and crooked as the talons of great birds. At the sight of so frightful a giant we became insensible and lay like dead men. 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 hand upon me took me up by the nape of my neck and turned round as a butcher would do a sheep's head. After having examined me 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 and viewed them in the same manner. The captain, being the fattest, he held him with one hand as I would do a sparrow and thrust the spit through him. Then he kindled a great fire, roasted and ate him in his apartment for his supper. Having finished his repast he returned to his porch where he lay and fell asleep snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till morning. As to ourselves it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest so that we passed the night in the most painful apprehension that can be imagined. When day appeared the giant awoke, got up, went out and left us in the palace. When we thought him at a distance we broke the melancholy silence we had preserved the whole of the night and filled the palace with our lamentations and groans. Though we were several in number and had but one enemy it never occurred to us to effect our deliverance by putting him to death. This enterprise, however, though difficult of execution was the only design we ought naturally to have formed. We thought of several other expedients but determined upon none and submitting ourselves to what it should please God to order concerning us we spent the day introversing the island supporting ourselves with fruits and herbs as we had done the day before. In the evening we sought for some place of shelter but found none so that we were forced whether we would or not to return to the palace. The giant failed not to return 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 before. Our situation appeared to us so dreadful that several of my comrades designed to throw themselves into the sea rather than die so painful a death and endeavored to persuade the others to follow their example. Upon which one of the company answered that we were forbidden to destroy ourselves but even if that were not the case it was much more reasonable to devise some method to rid ourselves of the monster who had destined us to so horrible a fate. Having thought of a project for this purpose I communicated it to my comrades who approved it. Brethren, said I, you know there is much timber floating upon the coast if you will be advised by me let us make several rafts capable of bearing us and when they are done leave them there till we find it convenient to use them. In the meantime we will carry into execution the design I propose to you for our deliverance from the giant and if it succeeded we may remain here patiently awaiting the arrival of some ship to carry us out of this fatal island. But if it happened to Miss Carrie we will take to our rafts and put to sea. I admit that by exposing ourselves to the fury of the waves we run a risk of losing our lives but is it not better to be buried in the sea than in the entrails of this monster who has already devoured two of our number? My advice was approved and we made rafts capable of carrying three persons on each. We returned to the palace towards the evening and the giant arrived shortly after. We were forced to submit to seeing another of our comrades roasted but at last we revenged ourselves on the brutish giant in the following manner. After he had finished his cursed supper he lay down on his back and fell asleep. As soon as we heard him snore 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 made him break out into a frightful yell. He started up and stretched out his hands in order to sacrifice some of us to his rage. But we ran to such places as he could not reach and after having sought for us in vain he groped for the gate and went out howling in agony. We quitted the palace after the giant and came to the shore where we had left our rafts and put them immediately to sea. We waited till day in order to get upon them in case the giant should come towards us with any guide of his own species but we hoped if he did not appear by sun rising and gave over his howling which we still heard that he would prove to be dead and if that happened to be the case we resolved to stay in that island and not to risk our lives upon the rafts but day had scarcely appeared when we perceived our cruel enemy accompanied with two others almost of the same size leading him and a great number more coming before him at a quick pace. We did not hesitate to take to our rafts and put to sea with all the speed we could. The giants who perceived this took up great stones and running to the shore entered the water up to the middle and threw so exactly that they sunk all the rafts but that I was upon and all my companions except the two with me were drowned. We rode with all our might and got out of the reach of the giants but when we got out to sea we were exposed to the mercy of the waves and winds and tossed about. Sometimes on one side and sometimes on another and spent that night and the following day under the most painful uncertainty as to our fate but the next morning we had the good fortune to be thrown upon an island where we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit which afforded us great relief and recruited our strength. At night we went to sleep on the seashore but we were awakened by the noise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness whose scales made a rustling noise as he wound himself along. It swallowed up one of my comrades notwithstanding his loud cries and the efforts he made to extricate himself from it dashing him several times against the ground it crushed him and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor wretches bones though we had fled to a considerable distance. The following day to our great terror we saw the serpent again when I exclaimed, oh, heaven, to what dangers are we exposed? We rejoiced yesterday at having escaped from the cruelty of a giant and the rage of the waves. Now we are fallen into another danger equally dreadful. As we walked about we saw a large tall tree upon which we designed to pass the following night for our security and having satisfied our hunger with fruit we mounted it accordingly. Shortly after the serpent came hissing to the foot of the tree raised himself up against the trunk of it and meeting with my comrade who sat lower than I swallowed him at once and went off. I remained upon the tree till it was day and then came down more like a dead man than one alive expecting the same fate with my two companions. This filled me with horror as I advanced some steps to throw myself into the sea but the natural love of life prompting us to prolong it as long as we can I we stood this dictate of despair and submitted myself to the will of God who disposes of our lives at his pleasure. In the meantime I collected together a great quantity of small wood, brambles and dry thorns and making them up into faggots made a wide circle with them round the tree and also tied some of them to the branches over my head. Having done this when the evening came I shut myself up within this circle with the melancholy satisfaction that I had neglected nothing which could preserve me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent failed not to come at the usual hour and went round the tree seeking for an opportunity to devour me but was prevented by the rampart I had made so that he lay till day like a cat watching in vain for a mouse that had fortunately reached a place of safety. When day appeared he retired but I dared not to leave my fort until the sun arose. I felt so much fatigued by the labour to which it had put me and suffered so much from his poisonous breath that death seemed more eligible to me than the horrors of such a state. I came down from the tree and not thinking of the resignation I had the preceding day resolved to exercise. I ran towards the sea with the design to throw myself into it. God took compassion on my hopeless state for just as I was going to throw myself into the sea I perceived a ship at a considerable distance. I called as loud as I could and taking the linen from my turban displayed it that they might observe me. This had the desired effect. The crew perceived me and the captain sent his boat for me. As soon as I came on board the merchants and seamen flocked about me to know how I came into that desert island and after I had related to them all that had befallen me the oldest among them said to me they had several times heard of the giants that dwelt in that island that they were cannibals and ate men raw as well as roasted and as to the serpents they added that there were abundance in the island that hid themselves by day and came abroad by night. After having testified their joy at my escaping so many dangers they brought me the best of their provisions and the captain seeing that I was in rags was so generous as to give me one of his own suits. We continued at sea for some time touched at several islands and at last landed at that of Salabat where sandalwood is obtained which is of great use in medicine. We entered the port and came to anchor. The merchants began to unload their goods in order to sell or exchange them. In the meantime the captain came to me and said brother I have here some goods that belong to a merchant who sailed some time on board this ship and he being dead I designed to dispose of them for the benefit of his heirs when I find who they are. The bales he spoke of lay on the deck and shooing them to me he said there are the goods I hope you will take care to sell them and you shall have factorage. I thanked him for thus affording me an opportunity of employing myself because I hated to be idle. The clerk of the ship took an account of all the bales with the names of the merchants to whom they belonged and when he asked the captain in whose name he should enter those he had given me the charge of enter them said the captain in the name of Simbad. I could not hear myself named without some emotion and looking steadfastly on the captain 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 sea for me but I could not recollect him at first he was so much altered since I had seen him. I was not surprised that he believing me to be dead did not recognise me. Captain said I was the merchant's name to whom those bales belonged Simbad. Yes replied he that was his name he came from Baghdad and embarked on board my ship at Busora one day when we landed at an island to take in water and other refreshments I knew not by what mistake I sailed without observing that he did not re-embark with us neither I nor the merchants perceived it till four hours after we had the wind in our stern and so fresh a gale that it was not then possible for us to tack about for him. You believe him then to be dead said I certainly answered he No captain I resumed look at me and you may know that I am Simbad whom you left in that desert island the captain continued Simbad having considered me attentively recognised me God be praised said he embracing me I rejoice that fortune has rectified my fault there are your goods which I always took care to preserve I took them from him and made him the acknowledgements to which he was entitled from the Isle of Salabat we went to another where I furnished myself with clothes cinnamon and other spices as we sailed from this island we saw a tortoise twenty cubits in length and breadth we observed also an amphibious animal like a cow which gave milk its skin is so hard that they usually make bucklers of it I saw another which had the shape and colour of a camel in short after a long voyage I arrived at Busora and from thence returned to Baghdad with so much wealth that I knew not its extent I gave a great deal to the poor and bought another considerable estate in addition to what I had already thus Sinbad finished the history of his third voyage gave another hundred sequins to Hinbad invited him to dinner again the next day to hear the story of his fourth voyage Hinbad and the company retired and on the following day when they returned Sinbad after dinner continued the relation of his adventures End of section 22 Section 23 of the Arabian Nights Entertainment's Volume 1 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Lucy LaFaro New South Wales, Australia The Arabian Nights Entertainment's Volume 1 By Anonymous Translated by Dr Jonathan Scott Section 23 The pleasures and amusements which I enjoyed after my third voyage had not charms sufficient to divert me from another My passion for trade and my love of novelty again prevailed I therefore settled my affairs and having provided a stock of goods fit for the traffic I designed to engage in, I set out on my journey I took the route to Persia travelled over several provinces and then arrived at a port where I embarked We hoisted our sails and touched several ports of the continent and some of the eastern islands and put out to sea We were overtaken by such a sudden gust of wind as obliged the captain to lower his yards and take all other necessary precautions to prevent the danger that threatened us But all was in vain Our endeavours had no effect The sails were split in a thousand pieces and the ship was stranded Several of the merchants and seamen were drowned and the cargo was lost I had the good fortune with several of the merchants and mariners to get upon some planks and we were carried by the current to an island which lay before us There were found fruit and spring water which preserved our lives We stayed all night near the place where we had been cast ashore with our consulting what we should do Our misfortune had so much dispirited us that we could not deliberate Next morning as soon as the sun was up we walked from the shore and advancing into the island saw some houses which we approached As soon as we drew near we were encompassed by a great number of negroes who seized us, shared us among them and carried us to their respective habitations 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, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it themselves thought only of satisfying their hunger and ate with greediness But I, suspecting some trick, would not so much as taste it which happened well for me for in little time after I perceived my companions had lost their senses and that when they spoke to me they knew not what they said The negroes fed us afterwards with rice prepared with oil of cocoa nuts and my comrades who had lost their reason ate of it greedily I also partook of it, but very sparingly They gave us that herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses that we might not be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us and they supplied us with rice to fatten us For being cannibals their design was to eat us as soon as we grew fat This accordingly happened for they devoured my comrades who were not sensible of their condition But my senses being entire you may easily guess that instead of growing fat as the rest did I grew leaner every day the fear of death under which I laboured turned all my food into poison I fell into a languishing distemper which proved my safety for the negroes having killed and eaten my companions seeing me to be withered, lean and sick deferred my death Meanwhile I had much liberty so that scarcely any notice was taken of what I did and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a distance from the house and to make my escape An old man who saw me and suspected my design called to me as loud as he could to return but instead of obeying him I redoubled my speed and quickly got out of sight At that time there was none but the old man about the houses the rest being abroad and not to return till night which was usual with them therefore being sure that they could not arrive time enough to pursue me I went on till night when I stopped to rest a little and to eat some of the provisions I had secured but I speedily set forward again and travelled seven days avoiding those places which seemed to be inhabited and lived for the most part upon cocoa nuts 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 great plenty in that place This I took to be a good omen and went to them without any scruple The people who gathered pepper came to meet me as soon as 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 satisfied their curiosity by giving them an account of my shipwreck and how I fell into the hands of the Negroes Those Negroes replied they eat men and by what miracle did you escape their cruelty I related to them the circumstances I have just mentioned at which they were wonderfully surprised I stayed with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper and then sailed with them to the island from whence they had come They presented me to their king who was a good prince He had the patience to hear my relation of my adventures which surprised him and he afterwards gave me clothes and commanded care to be taken of me The island was very well peopled, plentiful in everything and the capital a place of great trade This agreeable retreat was very comfortable to me after my misfortunes and the kindness of this generous prince completed my satisfaction In a word there was not a person more in favour with him than myself and consequently every man in court and city sought to oblige me so that in a very little time I was looked upon rather as a native than a stranger I observed one thing which to me appeared very extraordinary All the people, the king himself not accepted, rode their horses without saddle, bridle or stirrups This made me one day take the liberty to ask the king how it came to pass His majesty answered that I talked to him of things which nobody knew the use of in his dominions I went immediately to a workmen and gave him a model for making the stock of a saddle When that was done I covered it myself with velvet and leather and embroidered it with gold I afterwards went to a smith who made me a bid according to the pattern I shewed him and also some stirrups When I had all things completed I presented them to the king and put them upon one of his horses His majesty mounted immediately and was so pleased with them that he testified his satisfaction by large presence I could not avoid making several others for the ministers and principal officers of his household who all of them made me presence that enriched me in a little time I also made some for the people of best quality in the city which gained me great reputation and regard As I paid my court very constantly to the king he said to me one day Sinbad I love thee and all my subjects who know thee treat thee according to my example I have one thing to demand of thee which thou must grant Sir answered I there is nothing but I will do as a mark of my obedience to your majesty whose power over me is absolute I have a mind thou should marry replied he that so thou mayst stay in my dominions and think no more of thy own country I do not resist the prince's will and he gave me one of the ladies of his court noble beautiful and rich The ceremonies of marriage being over I went and dwelt with my wife and for some time we lived together in perfect harmony I was not however satisfied with my banishment therefore designed to make my escape the first opportunity and to return to Baghdad which my present settlement how advantageous so ever could not make me forget At this time the wife of one of my neighbours with whom I had contrasted a very strict friendship fell sick and died I went to see and comfort him in his affliction and finding him absorbed in sorrow I said to him as soon as I saw him God preserve you and grant you a long life Alas replied he how do you think I should obtain the favour you wish me I have not above an hour to live Pray said I do not entertain such a melancholy thought I hope I shall enjoy your company many years I wish you he replied a long life but my days are at an end for I must be buried this day with my wife this is a law which our ancestors established in this island and it is always observed inviolably the living husband is interred with the dead wife and the living wife with the dead husband nothing can save me everyone must submit to this law while he was giving me an account of this barbarous custom the very relation of which chilled my blood his kindred, friends and neighbours came in a body to assist at the funeral they dressed the corpse of the woman in her richest apparel and all her jewels as if it had been her wedding day then they placed her on an open coffin and began their march to the place of burial the husband walked at the head of the company and followed the corpse they proceeded to a high mountain and when they reached the place of their destination they took up a large stone which covered the mouth of a deep pit and let down the corpse with all its apparel and jewels then the husband embracing his kindred and friends suffered himself to be put into another open coffin without resistance with a pot of water and several small loaves and was let down in the same manner the mountain was of considerable length and extended along the seashore and the pit was very deep the ceremony being over the aperture was again covered with the stone and the company returned it is needless for me to tell you that I was a most melancholy spectator at this funeral while the rest was scarcely moved the custom was to them so familiar I could not forebear communication to the king my sentiment respecting the practice sir I said I cannot but feel astonished at the strange usage observed in this country of bearing the living with the dead I have been a great traveller and seen many countries but never heard of so cruel a law what do you mean Sinbad? replied the king it is a common law I shall be interred with the queen my wife if she die first but sir said I may I presume to ask your majesty if strangers be obliged to observe this law? without doubt returned the king smiling at the occasion of my question they are not exempted if they be married in this island I returned home much depressed by this answer for the fear of my wife's dying first and that I should be interred alive with her occasioned me very uneasy reflections but there was no remedy I must have patience and submit to the will of god I trembled however at every little indisposition of my wife alas in a little time my fears were realised for she fell sick and died Judge of my sorrow to be interred alive seemed to me as deplorable a nation of life as to be devoured by cannibals it was necessary however to submit the king and all his court expressed their wish to honour the funeral with their presence and the most considerable people of the city did the same when all was ready for the ceremony the corpse was put into a coffin with all her jewels and her most magnificent apparel the procession began and a second actor in this doleful tragedy I went next to the corpse with my eyes full of tears bewailing my deplorable fate before we reached the mountain I made an attempt to effect the minds of the spectators I addressed myself to the king first and then to all those that were around me bowed before them to the earth and kissing the border of their garments I prayed them to have compassion upon me consider said I that I am a stranger and ought not to be subject to this rigorous law and that I have another wife and children in my own country although I spoke in the most pathetic manner no one was moved by my address on the contrary they ridiculed my dread of death as cowardly made haste to let my wife's corpse into the pit and lowered me down the next moment in an open coffin with full of water and seven loaves in short the fatal ceremony being performed they covered over the mouth of the pit notwithstanding my griff and piteous lamentations as I approached the bottom I discovered by the aid of the little light that came from above the nature of this subterranean place it seemed an endless cavern and might be about fifty fathom deep I was annoyed by an insufferable stench proceeding from the multitude of bodies which I saw on the right and left nay I fancied that I heard some of them sigh out their last however when I got down I immediately left my coffin and getting at a distance from the bodies held my nose and lay down upon the ground where I stayed a considerable time bathed in tears at last reflecting on my melancholy case it is true said I that God disposes all things according to the degrees of His providence but unhappy sinbad has thou any but thyself to blame that thou art brought to die so strange a death would to God thou hast perished in some of those tempests which thou hast escaped then thy death had not been so lingering and so terrible in all its circumstances but thou hast drawn all this upon thyself by thy inauderate avarice our unfortunate wretch should thou not rather have remained at home and quietly enjoyed the fritz of thy labour such were the vain compliments with which I filled the cave beating my head and breast out of rage and despair and abandoning myself to the most afflicting thoughts nevertheless I must tell you that instead of calling death to my assistance in that miserable condition I felt still an inclination to live and to do all I could to prolong my days I went groping about with my nose stopped for the bread and water that was in my coffin and took some of it though the darkness of the cave was so great that I could not distinguish day and night yet I always found my coffin again and the cave seemed to be more spacious and fuller of bodies than it had appeared to be at first I lived for some days upon my bread and water which being all spent I at last prepared for death as I was thinking of death I heard the stone lifted up from the mouth of the cave and immediately the corpse of a man was let down when reduced to necessity it is natural to come to extreme resolutions while they let down the woman I approached the place where her coffin was to be put and as soon as I perceived they were again covering the mouth of the cave gave the unfortunate wretch two or three violent blows over the head with a large bone which stunned or to say the truth killed her I committed this inhuman action merely for the sake of the bread and water that was in her coffin and thus I had provision for some days more when that was spent they let down another dead woman and a living man I killed the man in the same manner and as there was then a sort of mortality in the town by continuing this practice I did not want for provisions one day after I had dispatched another woman I heard something tread and breathing and panting as it walked I advanced towards that side from whence I heard the noise and on my approach the creature puffed and blew harder as if running away from me I followed the noise and the things seemed to stop sometimes but always fled and blew as I approached I pursued it for a considerable time till at last I perceived a light resembling 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 large enough to admit a man upon this I stopped some time to rest being much fatigued with the rapidity of my progress afterwards coming up to the hole I got through and found myself upon the seashore I leave you to guess the excess of my joy it was such that I could scarcely persuade myself that the hole was not a dream but when I was recovered from my surprise and convinced of the reality of my escape I perceived that I had followed to be a creature which came out of the sea and was accustomed to enter the cavern to feed upon the bodies of the dead I examined the mountain and found it to be situated big-twixed the sea and the town but without any passage to or communication with the latter the rocks on the seaside being high and perpendicularly steep I prostrated myself on the shore to thank God for this mercy and afterwards entered the cave again to fetch bread and water which I ate by daylight with a better appetite than I had done since my intermittent I returned the river a second time and groped among the coffins for all the diamonds, rubies, pearls gold bracelets and rich stuff I could find these I brought to the shore and tying them up neatly into bales with the cords that let down the coffins I laid them together upon the beach waiting till some ship might appear without fear of rain for it was then the dry season after two or three days I perceived a ship just come out of the harbour 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 when they asked by what misfortune I came dither I told them that I had suffered shipwrecked two days before I made shift to get ashore with the goods they saw it was fortunate for me that these people did not consider the place where I was nor inquire into the probability of what I told them but without hesitation took me on board with my goods when I came to the ship the captain was so well pleased to have saved me and so much taken up with his own affairs that he also took the story of my rep pretended shipwreck upon trust and generously refused some jewels which I offered him we passed by several islands and among others that called the Isle of Bells about ten days south from Serendib with a regular wind and six from that of Kila where we landed this island produces lead mines indian canes and excellent camphire the king of the Isle of Kila is very rich and powerful and the Isle of Bells which is about two days journey in extent is also subject to him the inhabitants are so barbarous that they still eat human flesh after we had finished our traffic in that island we put to sea again and touched at several other ports at last I arrived happily at Baghdad with infinite riches of which it is needless to trouble you with the detail out of gratitude to God for his mercies I contributed liberally towards the support of several mosques and the subsistence of the poor gave myself up to the society of my kindred and friends enjoying myself with them in festivities and amusements here Zimbabwe finished the relation of his fourth voyage which appeared more surprising to the company than the three former he made a new present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad whom he requested to return with the rest next day at the same hour to dine with him and hear the story of his fifth voyage Hindbad and the other guests took their leave and retired next morning when they all met they sat down at table and when dinner was over Zimbad began the relation of his fifth voyage as follows End of section 23 section 24 of the Arabian Nights entertainments volume 1 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Lucy LaFaro New South Wales, Australia the Arabian Nights volume 1 by Anonymous translated by Dr Jonathan Scott section 24 the pleasures I enjoyed had again charms enough to make me forget all the troubles and calamities I had undergone but could not cure me of my inclination to make new voyages I therefore bought goods departed with them for the best seaport and there I was obliged to depend upon a captain but have a ship at my own command I remained till one was built on purpose at my own charge when the ship was ready I went on board with my goods but not having enough to load her I agreed to take with me several merchants of different nations with their merchandise we sailed with the first fair wind and after a long navigation the first place we touched was at a desert island where we found an egg of a row equal in size to that I formally mentioned there was a young rock it just ready to be hatched and its bill had begun to appear the merchants whom I had taken on board and who landed with me broke the egg with hatchets and made a hole in it pulled out the young rock piece meal and roasted it I had earnestly entreated them not to meddle with the egg but they would not listen to me scarcely had they finished their repast when there appeared in the air at a considerable distance from us two great clouds the captain whom I had hired to navigate my ship knowing by experience what that meant said they were the male and female rock that belonged to the young one and asked us to re-embark with all speed to prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise befall us we hastened on board and set sail with all possible expedition in the meantime the two rows approached with a frightful noise which they redoubled when they saw the egg broken and the young one gone they flew back in the direction they had come and disappeared for some time all the sail we could to endeavour to prevent that which unhappily befell us they soon returned and we observed that each of them carried between its talons stones or rather rocks of a monstrous size when they came directly over my ship they hovered and one of them let fall a stone but by the dexterity of the steersmen it missed us and falling into the sea divided the water we could almost see the bottom the other row to our misfortune through his messy burden so exactly upon the middle of the ship as to split it into a thousand pieces the mariners and passengers were all crushed to death or sunk 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 another but always holding fast my board the wind and the tide favouring me I came to an island whose shore was very steep I overcame that difficulty however and got ashore I sat down upon the grass to recover myself from my fatigue after which I went into the island to explore it it seemed to be a delicious garden I found trees everywhere some of them bearing green and others ripe fruits and streams of fresh pure water running in pleasant meanders I ate of the fruits which I found excellent and drank of the water which was very light and good when night closed in I lay down upon the grass in a convenient spot but could not sleep an hour at a time my mind being apprehensive of danger I spent best part of the night and reproached myself for my imprudence in not remaining at home rather than undertaking this last voyage these reflections carried me so far that I began to form a design against my life but daylight dispersed these melancholy thoughts I got up and walked among the trees but not without some fears when I was a little advanced into the island I saw an old man in firm 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 signifying that it was to gather fruit I believed him really to stand in need of my assistance took him upon my back and having carried him over bait him get down and for that end stooped that he might get off with ease but instead of doing so which I laugh at every time I think of it the old man who to me appeared quite decrepit clasped his legs nimbly about my neck when I perceived his skin to resemble that of a cow he sat astride upon my shoulders and held my throat so tight that I thought he would have strangled me the apprehension of which made me swoon and fall down notwithstanding my fainting the ill-natured old fellow kept fast upon my neck but opened his legs a little to give me time to recover my breath when I had done so he thrust one of his feet against my stomach and so rudely on the side with the other that he forced me to rise up against my will having arisen he made me walk under the trees and forced me now and then to stop together and eat fruit such as we found he never left me all day and when I lay down to rest at night laid himself down with me holding always fast about my neck every morning he pushed me to make me awake afterwards obliged me to get up and walk and press me with his feet you may judge then gentlemen what trouble I was in to be loaded with such a burden of which I could not get rid one day I found in my way several dry calabashes 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 calabash I put it by in a convenient place and going thither again some days after I tasted it and found the wine so good that it soon made me forget my sorrow gave me new vigor and so exhilarated my spirits that I began to sing and dance as I walked along the old man perceiving the effect which this liquor had upon me and that I carried him with more ease than before I gave him a sign to give him some of it I handed him the calabash and the liquor pleasing his pellet he drained it all off there being a considerable quantity of it he became drunk immediately and the fumes getting up into his head he began to sing after his manner and to dance with his breach upon my shoulders his jolting made him vomit and he loosened his legs to me by degrees finding that he did not press me as before I threw him upon the ground where he lay without motion I then took up a great stone and crushed his head to pieces 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 they were surprised to see me but more so adhering to the particulars of my adventures you fell, said they into the hands of the old man of the sea and are the first to ever escaped strangling by his malicious tricks he never quitted those he had once made himself master of till he had destroyed them and he has made this island notorious by the number of men he has slain so that the merchants and mariners who landed upon it not advance into the island but in numbers at a time after having informed me of these things they carried me with them to the ship the captain received me with great kindness when they told him what had befallen me he put out again to sea and after some day sail we arrived at the harbour of a great city the houses of which were built with hewn stone one of the merchants who had taken me into his friendship invited me to go along with him and carried me to a place appointed for the accommodation of foreign merchants he gave me a large bag and having recommended me to some people of the town who used to gather cocoa nuts desired them to take me with them go, said he follow them and act as you see them do but do not separate from them otherwise you may endanger your life having thus spoken he gave me provisions for the journey and I went with them we came to a thick forest of cocoa trees very lofty with trunks so smooth that it was not possible to climb to the branches that bore the fruit when we entered the forest we saw a great number of apes of several sizes who fled as soon as they perceived us and climbed up to the top of the trees with surprising 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 through cocoa nuts at us so fast and with such gestures as sufficiently testified their anger and resentment we gathered up the cocoa nuts and from time to time through stones to provoke the apes so that by this stratagem we filled our bags with cocoa nuts which it had been impossible otherwise to have done when we had gathered our number we returned to the city where the merchant who had sent me to the forest gave me the value of the cocos I brought go on said he and do the like every day until you have got money enough to carry you home I thanked him for his advice and gradually collected as many cocoa nuts as produced me a considerable sum the vessel in which I had come sailed with some merchants who loaded her with cocoa nuts I expected the arrival of another which anchored soon after for the like loading I embarked in her all the cocoa nuts I had and when she was ready to sail took leave of the merchant who had been so kind to me but he could not embark with me because he had not finished his business at port we sailed towards the islands where pepper grows in great plenty from thence we went to the isle of Kumari where the best species of wood of aloes grows and whose inhabitants have made it an inviolable law to themselves to drink no wine and suffer no place of debauch I exchanged my cocoa with those two islands for pepper and wood of aloes and went with other merchants a pearl fishing I hired divers who brought me up some that were very large and pure I embarked in a vessel and happily arrived at Busora from thence I returned to Baghdad where I made vast sums of my pepper, wood of aloes and pearls I gave the tenth of my gains in arms as I had done upon my return from my other voyages and endeavoured to dissipate my fatigues by amusements of different kinds when Simbad had finished his story he ordered 100 sequins to be given to Simbad who retired with the other guests but next morning the same company returned to dine with Rich Simbad who after having treated them as formally requested their attention and gave the following account of his sixth voyage End of Section 24 Section 25 of the Arabian Nights Entertainment's Volume 1 This is a LibriVox recording or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Lucy LaFaro New South Wales, Australia The Arabian Nights Entertainment's Volume 1 by Anonymous Translated by Dr Jonathan Scott Section 25 Gentlemen You long without doubt can know how after having been shipwrecked five times and escaped so many dangers I could resolve again to tempt fortune and expose myself to new hardships I am myself astonished at my conduct when I reflect upon it and must certainly have been actuated by my destiny But be that as it may after a year's rest I prepared for a sixth voyage notwithstanding the entreaties of my kindred and friends who did all in their power to dissuade me Instead of taking my way by the Persian Gulf I travelled once more through several provinces of Persia and the Indies and arrived at a seaport where I embarked in a ship the captain of which was bound on a long voyage It was long indeed and at the same time so unfortunate that the captain and pilot lost their course They however at last discovered where they were but we had no reason to rejoice at the circumstance Suddenly we saw the captain quit his post uttering loud lamentations He threw off his turban pulled his beard and beat his head like a madman We asked him the reason and he answered that he was in the most dangerous place in all the ocean A rapid current carries the ship along with it and we shall all perish in less than a quarter of an hour Pray to God to deliver us from this peril we cannot escape if he did not take pity on us At these words he ordered the sails to be lowered but all the ropes broke and the ship was carried by the current to the foot of an inaccessible mountain where she struck and went to pieces yet in such a manner that we saved our lives our provisions and the best of our goods This being over the captain said to us God has done what pleased him Each of us may dig his grave and bid the world adieu for we are all in so fatal a place that none shipwrecked here have ever returned to their homes His discourse afflicted us sensibly and we embraced each other bewailing our deplorable lot The mountain at the foot of which we were wrecked formed part of the coast of a very large island It was covered with wrecks and from the vast number of human bones we saw everywhere and which filled us with horror we concluded that multitudes of people had perished here It is also incredible what a quality of goods and riches we found cast ashore All these objects served only to augment our despair In all other places rivers run from their channels into the sea but here a river of fresh water runs out of the sea into a dark cavern whose entrance is very high and spacious What is most remarkable in this place is that the stones of the mountain are of crystal, rubies or other precious stones Here is also a sort of fountain of pitch or bitumen into the sea which the fish swallow and evacuate soon afterwards turned into ambergris and this the waves throw up on the beach in great quantities Trees also grow here most of which are wood of aloes equal in goodness to those of Khmeri To finish the description of this place which may well be called a gulf but if ever returns from it it is not possible for ships to get off once they approach within a certain distance If they be driven dither by a wind from the sea the wind and the current impel them and if they come into it when a land wind blows which might seem to favour their getting out again the height of the mountain stops the wind and occasions are calm so that the force of the current and what completes the misfortune is that there is no possibility of ascending the mountain or of escaping by sea We continued upon the shore in a state of despair and expected death every day At first we divided our provisions as equally as we could and thus everyone lived a longer or shorter time according to his temperance and the use he made of his provisions Those who died first were interred by the survivors and I paid the last duty to all my companions Nor are you to wonder at this for besides that I husbanded the provision that fell to my share better than they I had some of my own which I did not share with my comrades yet when I buried the last I had so little remaining that I thought I could not long survive I dug a grave resolving to lie down in it and there one left to inter me I must confess to you at the same time that while I was thus employed I could not but reproach myself as the cause of my own ruin and repented that I had ever undertaken this last voyage nor did I stop at reflections only but had well now hastened my own death and began to tear my hands with my teeth But it pleased God once more to take compassion on me and put it in my mind to go to the bank of the river which ran into the great cavern Considering its probable cause with great attention I said to myself this river which runs thus underground must somewhere have an issue If I make a raft and leave myself to the current it will convey me to some inhabited island or I shall perish If I be drowned I lose nothing I will reach one kind of death for another and if I get out of this fatal place I shall not only avoid the sad fate of my comrades but perhaps find some new occasion of enriching myself Who knows but fortune waits upon my getting off this dangerous shelf to compensate my shipwreck in usury I immediately went to work upon large pieces of timber and cables for I had choice of them and tied them together so strongly that I made a very solid raft When I had finished I loaded it with some bolsters of rubies, emeralds ambergris, rock crystal and bails of rich stuffs having balanced my cargo exactly and fastened it well to the raft I went on board with two oars that I had made and leaving it to the course of the river resigned 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 wither Thus I floated some days in perfect darkness and once found the arch so low that it very nearly touched my head which made me cautious afterwards to avoid the like danger All this while I ate nothing but what was just necessary to support nature Yet notwithstanding my frugality all my provisions were spent Then a pleasing stupor seized upon me I cannot tell how long it continued but when I revived I was surprised to find myself in an extensive plain on the brink of a river where my raft was tied amidst a great number of negroes I got up as soon as I saw them and saluted them They spoke to me but I did not understand their language I was so transported with joy that I knew not whether I was asleep or awake but being persuaded that I was not asleep I recited the following words in Arabic aloud Call upon the Almighty He will help thee Thou needs not perplexed thyself about anything else, shut thy eyes and while thou art asleep God will change thy bad fortune into good One of the blacks who understood Arabic hearing me speak and thus came towards me and said Brother, be not surprised to see us we are inhabitants of this country and came hither today to water our fields by digging little canals from this river which comes out of the neighbouring mountain We observed something floating upon the water went to see what it was and perceiving your raft one of us swam into the river and brought it thither where we fastened it as you see until you should awake Pray tell us your history for it must be extraordinary How did you venture yourself into this river and whence did you come I begged of them first to give me something to eat and then I would satisfy their curiosity They gave me several sorts of food and when I had satisfied my hunger I related all that had befallen me which they listened to with attentive surprise As soon as I had finished they told me by the person who spoke Arabic and interpreted to them what I said that it was one of the most wonderful stories they had ever heard and that I must go along with them and tell it to their king myself It being too extraordinary to be related by any other than the person to whom the events had happened I assured them that I was ready to do whatever they pleased They immediately sent for a horse which was brought in a little time and having helped me to mount some of them walked before to shoo the way while the rest took my raft and cargo and followed We marched till we came to the capital of Serendib for it was in that island I had landed The blacks presented me to their king I approached his throne and saluted him as I used to do That is to say I prostrated myself at his feet The prince ordered me to rise received me with an obliging air and made me sit down near him He first asked me my name and I answered People call me Sinbad the Voyager because of the many voyages I have undertaken and I am a citizen of Baghdad But, regime T How came you into my dominions and from whence came you last I concealed nothing from the king I related to him all that I have told you and his majesty was so surprised and pleased that he commanded my adventures to be written in letters of gold and laid up in the archives of his kingdom At last my raft was brought in and the bales opened in his presence He admired the quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris of all the rubies and emeralds for he had none in his treasury that equaled them Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure and viewed the most remarkable among them one after another I felt prostrate at his feet and took the liberty to say to him Sir, not only my person is at your majesty's service but the cargo of the raft and I would beg of you to dispose of it as your own He answered me with a smile Sinbad, I will take care not to covet anything of yours or to take anything from you that God has given you Far from lessening your wealth I designed to augment it and will not let you quit my dominions without marks of my liberality All the answer I returned were prayers for the prosperity of that nobly minded prince and commendations of his generosity and bounty He charged one of his officers to take care of me and ordered people to serve me at his own expense The officer was very faithful in the execution of his commission and caused all the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided for me I went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king and spent the rest of my time on what was most worthy of notice The Isle of Serendib is situated just under the equinoctial line so that the days and nights there are always of 12 hours each and the island is 80 parasangs in length and as many in breadth The capital stands at the end of a fine valley in the middle of the island, encompassed by mountains the highest in the world They are seen three days sail off at sea rubies and several sorts of minerals are bound and the rocks are for the most part composed of a metaline stone made use of to cut and polish other precious stones All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there especially cedars and coconut There is also a pearl fishing in the mouth of its principal river and in some of its valleys are found diamonds carved by way of diversion a pilgrimage to the place where Adam was confined after his banishment from paradise and had the curiosity to go to the top of the mountain When I returned to the city I prayed the king to allow me to return to my own country and he granted me permission in the most obliging and most honourable manner He would need's force a rich present upon me He gave me one much more considerable and at the same time charged me with a letter for the commander of the faithful our sovereign saying to me I pray you give this present from me and this letter to the caliph and assure him of my friendship I took the present and letter in a very respectful manner and promised his majesty punctually to execute the commission with which he was placed to honour me Before I embarked this prince sent for the captain and the merchants who were to go with me and ordered them to treat me with all possible respect The letter from the king of Serendib was written on the skin of a certain animal of great value because of its being so scarce and of a yellowish colour The characters of this letter were of azure and the contents as follows The king of the indies before whom march 100 elephants who lives in a palace that shines with 100,000 rubies and who has in his treasury 20,000 crowns enriched with diamonds to caliph Haroon al-Rashid Though the present we send you be inconsiderable receive it however as a brother and a friend in consideration of the hearty friendship which we bear for you and of which we are willing to give you proof We desire the same part in your friendship considering that we believe it to be our merit being of the same dignity with yourself We conjure you this in quality of a brother adieu The present consisted first of one single ruby made into a tin cup about half foot high an inch thick and filled with round pearls of half a drachem each Two, the skin of a serpent whose scales were as large as an ordinary piece of gold and had the virtue to preserve from sickness those who lay upon it Three, 50,000 drachems of the best wood of aloes with 30 grains of camphor as big as pistachios Four, a female slave of ravishing beauty whose apparel was all covered over with jewels The ship set sail and after a very successful navigation we landed at Bussora and from thence I went to Baghdad where the first thing I did was to equip myself of my commission Scheherazade stopped because day appeared and next night proceeded thus I took the king of Serendibsa's letter and went to present myself at the gate of the commander of the faithful followed by the beautiful slave and such of my own family as carried the presents I stated the reason of my coming and was immediately conducted to the throne of the caliph I made my reverence and after a short speech gave him the letter and present when he had read what the king of Serendib wrote to him he asked me if that prince was really so rich and potent as he represented himself in this letter I prostrated myself a second time and rising again said commander of the faithful I can assure your majesty he doth not exceed the truth I bear him witness nothing is more worthy of admiration than the magnificence of his palace when the prince appears in public he has a throne fixed on the back of an elephant and marches betwixt two ranks of his ministers favourites and other people of his court before him upon the same elephant an officer carries a golden lance in his hand and behind the throne there is another who stands upright with a column of gold on the top of which is an emerald half a foot long at an inch thick before him march a guard of one thousand men clad in cloth of gold and silk and mounted on elephants richly comparisoned while the king is on his march the officer who is before him on the same elephant cries from time to time with a loud voice behold the great monarch the potent and redoubtable sultan of the indies whose palace is covered with one hundred thousand rubies and who possesses twenty thousand crowns of diamonds behold the monarch greater than Solomon and the powerful Maharaja after he has pronounced those words the officer behind the throne cries in his turn this monarch so great and so powerful must die, must die, must die and the officer before him replies praise be to him who lives forever father the king of Serendib is so just that there are no judges in his dominions his people have no need of them they understand and observe just as rigidly of themselves the caliph was much pleased with my account the wisdom of that king said he appears in his letter and after what you tell me I must confess that his wisdom is worthy of his people and serves so wise a prince having spoken thus he dismissed me and sent me home with a rich present Sinbad left off and his company retired Sinbad having first received one hundred sequins the next day they returned to hear the relation of his seventh and last voyage end of section 25 section 26 the Arabian Nights entertainment's volume 1 this is a LibriVox recording or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Lucy LaFaro New South Wales, Australia the Arabian Nights entertainment's volume 1 by Anonymous translated by Dr Jonathan Scott section 26 being returned from my sixth voyage said Sinbad I absolutely laid aside all thoughts of travelling for besides that my age and our required rest I was resolved no more to expose myself to such risks as I had encountered so that I thought of nothing but to pass the rest of my days in tranquility one day as I was treating my friends one of my servants came and told me that an officer of the caliphs inquired for me I rose from table and went to him the caliph, he said has sent me to tell you that he must speak with you I followed the officer to the palace where being presented to the caliph I saluted him by prostrating myself at his feet Sinbad said he to me I stand in need of your service you must carry my answer and present to the king of Serendib it is but just I should return his civility this command of the caliph was to me like a clapper thunder commander of the faithful I replied I am ready to do whatever your majesty shall think fit to command but I beseech you most humbly to consider what I have undergone I have also made a vow never to go out of Baghdad hence I took occasion to give him a full and particular account of all my adventures which he had the patience to hear out as soon as I had finished I confess he said that the things you tell me are very extraordinary yet you must for my sake undertake this voyage which I propose to you you will only have to go to the Isle of Serendib and deliver the commission which I give you after that you are at liberty to return but you must go for you know it would not comport with my dignity to be indebted to the king of that island perceiving that the caliph insisted upon my compliance I submitted and told him that I was willing to obey he was very well pleased and ordered me one thousand sequins for the expenses of my journey I prepared for my departure in a few days and as soon as the caliph's letter and present were delivered to me I went to Busora where I embarked and had a very happy voyage having arrived at the Isle of Serendib I acquainted the king's ministers with my commission and prayed them to get me speedy audience they did so and I was conducted to the palace in an honourable manner where I saluted the king by prostration according to custom that prince knew me immediately and testified very great joy at seeing me Simbad said he you are welcome I have many times thought of you since you departed I blessed the day on which we see one another once more I made my compliment to him and after having thanked him for his kindness delivered the caliph's letter which he received with all imaginable satisfaction the caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold valued at one thousand sequins fifty robes of rich stuff a hundred of white cloth the finest of Cairo, Sewers and Alexandria a vessel of agate broader than deep an inch thick and half a foot wide some of which represented in base relief a man with one knee on the ground who held bow and a narrow ready to discharge at a lion he sent him also a rich tablet which according to tradition belonged to the great Solomon the caliph's letter was as follows greeting in the name of the sovereign guide of the right way from the dependent on God whom God had set in the place a vice-regent to his prophet after his ancestors of happy memory to the potent and esteemed Raja of Serendib we received your letter with joy and send you this from our imperial residence the garden of superior widths we hope when you look upon it you will perceive our good intention and be pleased with it adieu the king of Serendib was highly gratified that the caliph answered his friendship a little time after this audience I solicited leave to depart and had much difficulty to obtain it I procured it however at last and the king when he dismissed me made me a very considerable present I embarked immediately to return to Baghdad but had not the good fortune to arrive there so speedily as I had hoped God ordered it otherwise three or four days after my departure we were attacked by corsairs who easily seized upon our ship because it was no vessel of force some of the crew offered resistance which cost them their lives but for myself and the rest who were not so imprudent the corsairs saved us on purpose to make slaves of us 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 the corsairs who sold me had robbed me of all I possessed but tell me replied he can you shoot with a bow I answered that the bow was one of my exercises in my youth he gave me a bow and arrows and taking me behind him upon an elephant carried me to a thick forest some legs from the town we penetrated a great way into the wood and when he thought fit to stop he'd bade me a light a great tree climb up that he 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 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 perceived a great number I shot several arrows among them and at last one of the elephants fell when the rest retired immediately and left me liberty to go and equate my patron with my booty when I had informed him 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 designed to return when it was rotten and take his teeth to trade with I continued this employment 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 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 number that the plane was covered and shook under them they encompassed the tree in which I was concealed with their trunks extended and all fixed their eyes upon at this alarming spectacle I continued immovable and was so much terrified that my bow and arrows fell out of my hand my fears were not without cause for after the elephants had stared upon me some time one of the largest of them put his trunk around the foot of the tree 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 afterwards at the head of the rest who followed him in troops carried me a considerable way then laid me down on the ground and retired with all his companions conceive if you can the condition I was in I thought myself in a dream after having lain some time and seeing the elephants gone I got up and found I was upon a long and broad hill almost covered with the bones and teeth of elephants I confessed 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 I admired father 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 Simbad exclaimed he I was in great trouble to know what was 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 to befell you and by what good chance 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 told him was true we loaded the elephant which had carried us with as many teeth as he could bear and when we returned brother said my patron for I will treat you no more as my slave I have been 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 and destroyed them one time or other God has delivered you from their fury and has bestowed that favor upon you only it is a sign that he loves you and has some use for your service in the world you have procured me incredible wealth formerly we could not procure ivory but by exposing the lives of our slaves and now our whole city is enriched by your means I do not think I pretend to have rewarded you by giving you your liberty I will also give you considerable riches I could engage all our city to contribute towards making your fortune but I will have the glory of doing it myself to this obliging declaration 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 your 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 will in a little time bring ships for ivory I will then send you home and give you wherewith to bear your charges I thanked him again for my liberty and his good intentions towards me I stayed with him expecting the monsoon and during that time I made my journeys to the hill that we filled all our warehouses with ivory the other merchants who traded in it did the same for it could not be long concealed from them the ships arrived at last and my patron himself having made choice of the ship wherein I was to embark loaded half of it with ivory on my account laid in provisions in abundance for my passage and besides oblige me to accept a present of some curiosities for the country of great value after I had returned him a thousand thanks for all his favours I went aboard we set sail and as the adventure which procured me this liberty was very extraordinary I had it continually in my thoughts we stopped at some islands to take in fresh provisions our vessel being come to a port on the mainland in the Indies we touched there being willing to venture by sea to Bussara I landed my proportion of the ivory resolving to proceed on my journey by land I made vast sums of my ivory bought several rarities which I intended for presents and when my equipage was ready set out in company with a large caravan of merchants I was a long time on the way and suffered much but endured all with patience I succeeded that I had nothing to fear from the seas from pirates from serpents or from other perils to which I had been exposed all these fatigues ended at last and I arrived safe at Baghdad I went immediately to wait upon the caliph and gave him an account of my embassy that prince said he had been uneasy as I was so long in returning but that he always hoped God would preserve me when I told him the adventure of the elephants he seemed much surprised and would never have given any credit to it had he not known my veracity he deemed this story and the other relations I had given him to be so curious that he ordered one of his secretaries to write them in characters of gold and lay them up in his treasury I retired well satisfied with the honors I received and the presents which he gave me and ever since I have devoted myself wholly to my family kindred and friends Simbad here finished the relation of his seventh and last voyage and then addressing himself to Hindbad well friend said he did you ever hear of any person that suffered so much as I have done or of any mortal that has gone through so many hardships is it not reasonable that after all this I should enjoy a quiet and pleasant life as he said this Hindbad drew near to him and kissing his hand said I must acknowledge sir that you have gone through many imminent dangers my troubles are not comparable to yours if they afflict me for a time I comfort myself with the thoughts of the prophet I get by them I deserve a quiet life but are worthy of all the riches you enjoy because you make of them such a good and generous use may you therefore continue to live in happiness and joy till the day of your death Simbad gave him one hundred sequins more received him into the number of his friends desired him to quit his potters employment and come and dine every day with him that he might have reason to remember Simbad the Voyager End of section 26 Section 27 of the Arabian Nights Entertainment's Volume 1 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Nicholas Illich The Arabian Nights Entertainment Volume 1 by Anonymous Translated by Dr Jonathan Scott Section 27 The Three Apples The Caliph Runa Vashid one day commanded the Grand Vizier Jaffir to come to his palace the night following Vizier said he I will take a walk around the town to inform myself what people say and particularly how they are pleased with my officers of justice If there be any against whom they have cause of just complaint we will turn them out and put others in their stead who shall officiate better If on the contrary there be any that have gained their applause we will have that esteem for them which they deserve The Grand Vizier being come to the palace at the hour appointed the Caliph, he and Mishra, the chief of the Unux disguised themselves so they could not be known and went out all three together They passed through several places and by several markets As they entered a small street of the moon a tall man with a white beard who carried nets on his head and a staff in his hand To judge from his appearance said the Caliph that old man is not rich I'll just go to him and inquire into his circumstances Honest man said the Vizier Who art thou? The old man replied Sir, I am a fisher but one of the poorest and most miserable of the trade I went from my house about noon to fishing and from that time to this I have not been able to catch one fish at the same time I have a wife and small children and nothing to maintain them The Caliph moved with compassion said to the fisherman, as thou the courage to go back and cast thy net once more we will give thee a hundred sequins for what thou shalt bring up At this proposal the fisherman, forgetting all his days toil, took the Caliph at his word and returned to the Tigris, accompanied by the Caliph Japhir and Mishrur saying to himself as he went these gentlemen seemed too honest and reasonable not to reward my pains and if they give me a hundredth part of what they promise it will be an ample recompense They came to the bank of the river and the fisherman having thrown in his net when he drew it again brought up a trunk closed shut and very heavy The Caliph made the Grand Vizier pay him 100 sequins immediately and sent him away Mishrur by his masters ordered carried the trunk on his shoulder and the Caliph was so very eager to know what it contained that he returned to the palace with all speed When the trunk was open they found in it a large basket made of palm leaves shut up and the covering of it sewed with red thread to satisfy the Caliph's impatience they would not take the time to undo it they would cut the thread with a knife and took out of the basket a package wrapped up in a sorry piece of hanging and bound about with a rope which being untied they found to their great amazement the corpse of a young lady wider than snow all cut in pieces The astonishment of the Caliph was great at this dreadful spectacle His surprise was instantly changed in a passion and darting an angry look at the Vizier thou rich said he Is this your inspection into the actions of my people? Do they commit such impious murders under thy ministry and my capital and throw my subjects into the Tigris that they may cry for vengeance against me at the day of judgment? If thou dost not speedily avenge the murder of this woman by the death of her murder I swear by heaven that I will cause thee and forty more of thy kindred to be impaled Commander of the Faithful Vizier I beg your majesty to grant me time to make inquiry I will allow thee no more said the Caliph then three days The Vizier Japhir went home in great perplexity Alas said he How is it possible that in such a vast and populous city as Baghdad I should be able to detect her murderer who undoubtedly committed the crime without witness and perhaps may be already gone from hence Any other Vizier than I would take some wretched person out of prison and cause him to be put to death to satisfy the Caliph but I will not burden my conscience with such a barbarous action I would rather die than preserve my life by the sacrifice of another innocent person He ordered the officers of the police and justice to make strict search for the criminal they sent their servants about and they were not idle themselves for they were no less concerned in this matter than the Vizier but all their endeavors were to no purpose What pain so ever they took they could not discover the murderer so that the Vizier concluded his life to be lost The third day being arrived an officer came to the unfortunate minister with the summons to follow him which the Vizier obeyed The Caliph asked him for the murderer He answered Commander of the faithful I have not found any person that could give me the least account of him The Caliph full of fury on our age gave him many reproachful words and ordered that he and 40 Burmese should be impaled at the gate of the palace In the meanwhile the steaks were preparing and orders were sent to seize 40 Burmese in their houses A public crier was sent about the city by the Caliph's order to cry thus Those who have a desire to see the Grand Vizier Japhir impaled with 40 of his kindred and come to the square before the palace When all things were ready the criminal judge and many officers belonging to the palace having brought out the Grand Vizier with the 40 Burmese set each by the state designed for him The multitude of people that filled the square could not without grief and tears behold the tragical sight For the Grand Vizier and the Burmese were loved and honored on account of the probative bounty not only in Baghdad but through all the dominions of the Caliph Nothing could prevent the execution of this prince's severe and irrevocable sentence and the lives of the most deserving people in the city were just going to be sacrificed When a young man of handsome mean pressed through the crowd till he came up to the Grand Vizier and after he had kissed his hand said Most excellent Vizier chief of the emirs of this court and comforter of the poor you are not guilty of the crime for which you stand here Withdraw and let me expiate the death of the lady that was thrown into the Tigris It is I who murdered her and I deserve to be punished for my offense Though these words occasioned great joy to the Vizier that he could not but pity the young man in whose look he saw something that instead of evincing guilt was engaging but as he was about to answer him who had advanced in years who had likewise forced his way through the crowd came up to him saying Do not believe what this young man tells you I killed that lady who was found in the trunk and this punishment not only to fall upon me I conjure you in the name of God not to punish the innocent for the guilty Sir said the young man to the Vizier I do protest that I am he who committed this vile act and nobody else had any concern in it My son said the old man it is despair that brought you hither and you would anticipate your destiny I have lived a long while in this world and it is time for me to be gone let me therefore sacrifice my life for yours Sir said he again to the Vizier I tell you once more I am the murderer let me die without delay the controversy between the old and the young man induced the Grand Vizier to carry them both before the caliph to which the judge criminal consented being glad to serve the Vizier when he came before the prince he kissed the ground seven times and spake after this manner commander of the faithful I have brought here before your majesty this old and this young man each of whom declares himself to be the sole murderer of the lady the caliph asked the criminals which of them it was that so cruefully murdered the lady and threw her into the tigress the young man assured him it was he but the old man maintained the contrary Go said the caliph to the Grand Vizier and caused them both to be impaled but sir said the Vizier if only one of them be guilty it would be unjust to take the lives of both at these words the young man spoke again I swear by the great god who has raised the heaven so high that I am the man who killed the lady cut her in pieces and about four days ago threw her into the tigress I renounce my part of happiness amongst the just at the day of judgment if what I say be not truth therefore I am he that ought to suffer the caliph being surprised at this oath believed him especially since the old man made no answer whereupon turning to the young man wretch said he what made thee commit that detestable crime and what is it that moves thee to offer thyself voluntarily to die commander of the faithful said he if all that is passed between that lady and me were set down in writing it would be a history that might be useful to other men I command thee then to relate it said the caliph the young man obeyed and began his history end of section 27 section 28 of the Arabian Nights Entertainment volume 1 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by John Rose the Arabian Nights Entertainment volume 1 by Anonymous translated by Dr. Jonathan Scott section 28 the story of the lady who was murdered and of the young man her husband commander of the faithful this murdered lady was my wife daughter of this old man who is my uncle by the father's side she was not above 12 years old when 11 years ago he gave her to me I have three children by her all boys yet alive and I must do her the justice to say that she never gave me a vision for offense she was chased of good behavior and made it her whole business to please me and on my part I ardently loved her and in everything rather anticipated than opposed her wishes about two months ago she fell sick I took all imaginable care of her and spared nothing that could promote her speedy recovery after a month's thus past she began to grow better and expressed a wish to go to the bath before she went cousin said she for so she used to call me out of familiarity I longed for some apples if you would get me any you would greatly please me I have longed for them a great while and I must own it has come to that height that if I be not satisfied very soon I fear some misfortune will befall me I will cheerfully try said I and do all of my power to make you easy I went immediately around all the markets and shops in the town to seek for apples but I could not get one though I offered to pay a sequin apiece I returned home much dissatisfied with my failure and from my wife when she returned from the banyo and saw no apples she became so very uneasy at night I got up by times in the morning and went through all the gardens but had no better success than the day before only I happened to meet an old gardener who told me that all my pains would signify nothing for I could not expect to find apples anywhere but in your majesty's garden at buzzerach as I loved my wife passionately and would not neglect to satisfy her I dressed myself in a traveller's habit and after I had told her my design went to buzzerach and made my journey with such speed that I returned at the end of fifteen days with three apples which cost me a sequin apiece for as there were no more left the gardener would not let me have them for less as soon as I came home I presented them to my wife but her longing had seized she satisfied herself with receiving them and laid them down by her in the meantime she continued sickly and I knew not what remedy to procure for her relief some few days after I returned from my journey sitting in my shop in the public place where all sorts of fine stuff are sold I saw an ugly, tall, black slave come in with an apple in his hand which I knew to be one of those I had brought from buzzerach I had no reason to doubt it since I was certain there was not one to be had in Baghdad nor in any of the gardens in the vicinity I called to him and said good slave pretty tell me where thou heads this apple it is present said he smiling from my mistress I went to see her today and found her out of order I saw three apples lying by her and asked her where she had them she told me the good man her husband had made a fortnight's journey on purpose and brought them to her we had a collation together and when I took my leave of her I brought away this apple I rose shut up my shop ran home with all speed and going to my wife's chamber looked immediately for the apples and seeing only two asked what was become of the third my wife turning her head to the place where the apples lay and perceiving there were but two entered me coldly cousin I know not what has become of it at this reply I was convinced what the slave had told me was true and giving myself up to madness and jealousy drew my knife from my girdle and thrust it into the unfortunate creature's throat I afterwards cut off her head and divided her body into four quarters which I packed up in a bundle sewed it up with a thread of red yarn put all together in a trunk and when night came carried it on my shoulder down to the Tigris where I sunk it the two youngest of my children were asleep the third was out but at my return I found them sitting by my gate weeping I asked him the reason father said he I took this morning from my mother without her knowledge one of those three apples you brought her I waited a long while but as I was playing some time ago with my little brother in the street a tall slave passing by snatched it out of my hands and carried it away I ran after him demanding it back and besides told him that it belonged to my mother who was sick and that you had made a fortnight's journey to procure it but all to no purpose he would not restore it and as I still followed him he turned and beat me and then ran away as fast as he could from one lane to another to that length I lost sight of him I have since been walking without the town expecting your return to pray you, dear father not to tell my mother of it lest it should make her worse when he had thus spoken he fell a weeping again more bitterly than before my son's account afflicted me beyond measure and then I found myself guilty of an enormous crime and repented too late of having so easily believed the calamities of a wretched slave who from what he had learned of my son had invented that fatal falsehood my uncle here present came just at that time to see his daughter but instead of finding her alive understood from me that she was dead for I concealed nothing from him and without staying for his censure declared myself the greatest criminal in the world upon this instead of reproaching me he joined his tears with mine and we together wept three days without intermission he for the loss of a daughter whom he had loved tenderly and I for the loss of a beloved wife of whom I had deprived myself in so cruel a manner by giving too easy credit to the report of a lying slave this, commander of the faithful is the sincere confession your majesty required from me you have now heard all the circumstances of my crime and I must humbly beg of you to order the punishment due for it how severe so ever it may be I shall not in the least complain but esteem it too easy and light the caliph was much astonished at the young man's relation but this just prince finding he was rather to be pitted then condemned began to speak in his favor this young man's crime said he is pardonable before God and excusable with men the wicked slave is the sole cause of this murder it is he alone that must be punished wherefore continued he looking upon the grand vizier I give you three days time to find him out if you do not bring him within that space you shall die in his stead the unfortunate jeffir had sought himself out of danger was perplexed at this order of the caliph but as he durst not return any answer to the prince whose hasty temper he knew too well he departed from his presence and retired melancholy to his house convinced that he had but three days to live for he was so fully persuaded to find the slave that he made not the least inquiry after him is it possible said he that in such a city as Baghdad where there is an infinite number of negro slaves I should be able to find him out that is guilty unless God be pleased to interpose as he has already to detest the murderer nothing can save my life he spent the first two days in mourning with his family who sat round them weeping and complaining of caliph's cruelty the third day being arrived he prepared himself to die with courage as an honest minister and one who had nothing to trouble his conscience he sent for notaries and witnesses who signed his will after which he took leave of his wife and children and bade them farewell all his family were drowned in tears and there never was a more sorrowful spectacle at last a messenger came from the caliph to tell him that he was out of all patience having heard nothing from him concerning the negro slave whom he had commanded him to search for I am therefore ordered said the messenger to bring you before his throne the afflicted vizier obeyed the mandate but as he was going out they brought him his youngest daughter five or six years of age to receive his last blessing as he had a particular affection for that child he prayed the messenger to give him leave to stop a moment and taking his daughter in his arms kissed her several times as he kissed her he perceived she had something in her bosom that looked bulky and had a sweet scent my dear little one said he what has thou in thy bosom my dear father she replied it is an apple which our slave Rehan sold me for two sequins at these words apple and slave the grand vizier uttered an exclamation of surprise intermixed with joy and putting his hand into the child's bosom pulled out the apple he caused the slave who was not far off to be brought immediately and when he came rascal said he this apple my lord replied the slave I swear to you that I neither stole it in your house nor out of the commander of the faithful's garden but the other day as I was passing through his street where three or four children were at play one of them having it in his hand I snatched it from him and carried it away the child ran after me telling me it was not his own but belonged to his mother who was sick and that his father to satisfy her longing had made a long journey and brought home three apples or off this was one which he had taken from his mother without her knowledge he said all he could prevail upon me to give it him back but I refused and so brought it home and sold it for two sequins to the little lady your daughter Jafar could not reflect without astonishment that the mischievousness of a slave had been the cause of an innocent woman's death and nearly of his own he carried the slave along with him and when he came before the caliph gave the prince an exact account of what the slave had told him and the chance which led him to the discovery of his crime never was any surprise so great as that of the caliph yet he could not refrain from falling into excessive fits of laughter at last he recovered himself and with a serious error told the vizier that since his slave had been the occasion of murder he deserved an exemplary punishment I must own it said the vizier but his guilt is not unpardonable I remember the wonderful history of a vizier of Cairo and I'm ready to relate it upon condition that if your majesty finds it more astonishing than that which gives me occasion to tell it you will be pleased to pardon my slave I consent said the caliph but you undertake a hard task for I do not believe you can save your slave the story of the apples being so very singular upon this Japhir began his story thus End of section 28