The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 2

by Penguin; Robert Irwin; Malcolm Lyons; Ursula Lyons

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that SINDBAD SAID:

  I told the captain that the goods were mine and represented my means of livelihood. The captain quoted the formula: ‘There is no might and no power except with God, the Exalted, the Omnipotent,’ adding: ‘No one has any integrity or conscience left.’ I asked him why he had said that after having listened to my story, and he said: ‘You heard me say that I had with me goods whose owner had been drowned, and now you want to take them without having any right to them. This is a crime on your part, and as for the owner, we saw him sink, and of the many others with him, not one escaped. So how can you claim that the goods are yours?’ ‘Captain,’ I told him, ‘if you listen to my story and follow what I am telling you, you will see that what I say is true, for lying is a characteristic of hypocrites.’ I then went over for him everything that had happened to me from the time that I left Baghdad with him until I got to the ‘island’, where I was plunged into the sea. When I had told him some details of what had passed between us, both he and the other merchants realized that I was telling the truth. They recognized me and congratulated me on my safety, saying: ‘By God, none of us believed that you could have escaped drowning, but God has given you a new life.’ Then they handed over my goods, marked with my name, from which nothing at all was missing. I opened the packages and took out something precious and expensive, which the crew helped me to carry as a gift to the king. I explained to him that this was the ship on which I had sailed and that every single one of my goods had been returned to me. It was from them, I added, that I had chosen the present.

  The king was filled with amazement when he heard this, and he realized that everything I had told him was true. He showed me great affection and treated me with even greater generosity, showering me with gifts in return for mine. I then disposed of all the goods I had with me at a great profit, after which I bought more goods of all kinds in the city. When the other merchants wanted to put to sea, I loaded all that I had on to the ship and then went to the king to thank him for his goodness and kindness and then to ask him to allow me to return to my own country and my family. He said goodbye to me and presented me as I left with many goods from the city. When I had taken my leave of him, I boarded the ship and with the permission of Almighty God we sailed off. Good fortune attended us and fate helped us as we travelled night and day until we reached Basra in safety. I was delighted at my safe return, and after we had landed and stayed for a short time, I set off for Baghdad, the City of Peace, taking with me many valuable loads of all kinds of goods. When I got to my own district of the city, I went to my house and was met by all my family and friends. I bought large numbers of eunuchs, retainers, mamluks, concubines and black slaves, as well as houses, properties and estates, until I had more of these than ever before. I enjoyed the company of my friends and companions, and was more prosperous than ever, forgetting the time that I had spent abroad, together with the toils and distress that I had suffered and the terrors of the voyage. I occupied myself with pleasures and enjoyment, good food and expensive wine, and continued to do so. This, then, is the story of my first voyage and tomorrow, God willing, I shall tell you the story of the second of my seven.

  Sindbad the sailor then entertained Sindbad the landsman to supper, after which he ordered him to be presented with a hundred mithqals of gold, telling him: ‘I have enjoyed your company today.’ The other Sindbad thanked him, took the gift and went on his way, thinking with wonder about the experiences people have. He slept at home that night but the next morning he went back to the house of Sindbad the sailor, who welcomed him on his arrival and treated him with courtesy, giving him a seat in his salon. When his other companions came, he provided them with food and drink and when they were cheerful and happy he began to tell them the story of the second voyage.

  ‘You must know, my brothers,’ he said, ‘that, as I told you yesterday, I was enjoying a life of the greatest pleasure and happiness…’

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and forty-third night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when Sindbad’s companions came, HE TOLD THEM:

  I was enjoying a life of the greatest pleasure until one day I got the idea of travelling to foreign parts, as I wanted to trade, to look at other countries and islands and to earn my living. After I had thought this over, I took out a large sum of money and bought trade goods and other things that would be useful on a voyage. I packed these up and when I went down to the coast I found a fine new ship with a good set of sails, fully manned and well equipped. A number of other merchants were there and they and I loaded our goods on board. We put to sea that day and had a pleasant voyage, moving from one sea and one island to another, and wherever we anchored we were met by the local traders and dignitaries as well as by buyers and sellers, with whom we bought, sold and bartered our goods.

  Things went on like this until fate brought us to a pleasant island, full of trees with ripe fruits, scented flowers, singing birds and limpid streams, but without any houses or inhabitants. The captain anchored there and the merchants, together with the crew, disembarked to enjoy its trees and its birds, giving praise to the One Omnipotent God, and wondering at His great power. I had gone with this landing party and I sat down by a spring of clear water among the trees. I had some food with me and I sat there eating what God had provided for me; there was a pleasant breeze; I had no worries and, as I felt drowsy, I stretched out at my ease, enjoying the breeze and the delightful scents, until I fell fast asleep. When I woke up, there was no one to be found there, human or jinn. The ship had sailed off leaving me, as not a single one on board, merchants or crew, had remembered me. I turned right and left, and when I failed to find anyone at all, I fell into so deep a depression that my gall bladder almost exploded through the force of my cares, sorrow and distress. I had no possessions, no food and no drink; I was alone, and in my distress I despaired of life. I said to myself: ‘The pitcher does not always remain unbroken. I escaped the first time by meeting someone who took me with him from the island to an inhabited part, but this time how very, very unlikely it is that I shall meet anyone to bring me to civilization!’

  I started to weep and wail, blaming myself in my grief for what I had done, for the voyage on which I had embarked, and for the hardships I had inflicted on myself after I had been sitting at home in my own land at my ease, enjoying myself and taking pleasure in eating well, drinking good wine and wearing fine clothes, in no need of more money or goods. I regretted having left Baghdad to go to sea after what I had had to endure on my first voyage, which had brought me close to death. I recited the formula: ‘We belong to God and to Him do we return,’ and I was close to losing my reason. Then I got up and began to wander around, not being able to sit still in any one place. I climbed a high tree and from the top of it I started to look right and left, but all I could see was sky, water, trees, birds, islands and sand. Then, when I stared more closely, I caught sight of something white and huge on the island. I climbed down from my tree and set out to walk towards it. On I went until, when I reached it, I found it to be a white dome, very tall and with a large circumference. I went nearer and walked around it but I could find no door and the dome itself was so smoothly polished that I had neither the strength nor the agility to climb it. I marked my starting point and made a circuit of it to measure its circumference, which came to fifty full paces, and then I started to think of some way to get inside it.

  It was coming on towards evening. I could no longer see the sun, and the sky had grown dark; I thought that the sun must have been hidden by a cloud, but since it was summer I found this surprising and I raised my head to look again. There, flying in the sky, I caught sight of an enormous bird with a huge body and broad wings. It was this that had covered the face of the sun, screening its rays from the island. I was even more amazed, but I remembered an old travellers’ tale…

  Morning n
ow dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and forty-fourth night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that SINDBAD SAID:

  I was filled with amazement at the bird I saw on the island, and I remembered an old travellers’ tale of a giant bird called the rukh that lived on an island and fed its chicks on elephants, and I became sure that my ‘dome’ was simply a rukh’s egg. While I was wondering at what Almighty God had created, the parent bird flew down and settled on the egg, covering it with its wings and stretching its legs behind it on the ground. It fell asleep – glory be to God, Who does not sleep – and I got up and undid my turban, which I folded and twisted until it was like a rope. I tied this tightly round my waist and attached myself as firmly as I could to the bird’s legs in the hope that it might take me to a civilized region, which would be better for me than staying on the island.

  I spent the night awake, fearful that if I slept, the bird might fly off before I realized what was happening. When daylight came, it rose from the egg and with a loud cry it carried me up into the sky, soaring higher and higher until I thought that it must have reached the empyrean. It then began its descent and brought me back to earth, settling on a high peak. As soon as it had landed I quickly cut myself free from its legs, as I was afraid of it, although it hadn’t noticed that I was there. I was trembling as I undid my turban, freeing it from the bird’s legs, and I then walked off, while, for its part, the bird took something in its talons from the surface of the ground and then flew back up into the sky. When I looked to see what it had taken, I discovered that this was a huge snake with an enormous body. I watched in wonder as it left with its prey, and I then walked on further, to find myself on a high ridge under which there was a broad and deep valley, flanked by a vast and unscalable mountain that towered so high into the sky that its summit was invisible. I blamed myself for what I had done and wished that I had stayed on the island, saying to myself: ‘That was better than this barren place, as there were various kinds of fruits to eat and streams from which to drink, whereas here there are no trees, fruits or streams.’ I recited the formula: ‘There is no power and no might except with God, the Exalted, the Almighty,’ adding: ‘Every time I escape from one disaster, I fall into another that is even worse.’

  I got up and, plucking up my courage, I walked down into the valley, where I discovered that its soil was composed of diamonds, the hard and compact stone that is used for boring holes in metals, gems, porcelain and onyx. Neither iron nor rock has any effect on it; no part of it can be cut off and the only way in which it can be broken is by the use of lead. The valley was full of snakes and serpents as big as palm trees, so huge that they could have swallowed any elephant that met them, but these only came out at night and hid away by day for fear of rukhs and eagles, lest they be carried away and torn in bits, although I don’t know why that should be. I stayed there filled with regret at what I had done, saying to myself: ‘By God, you have hastened your own death.’ As evening drew on, I walked around looking for a place where I could spend the night, and I was so afraid of the snakes that in my concern for my safety I forgot about eating and drinking. Nearby I spotted a cave and when I approached it, I found that its entrance was narrow. I went into it and then pushed a large stone that I found nearby in order to block it behind me. ‘I’m safe in here,’ I told myself, ‘and when day breaks I shall go out and see what fate brings me.’

  At that point I looked inside my cave only to see a huge snake asleep over its eggs at the far end. All the hairs rose on my body and, raising my head, I entrusted myself to fate. I spent a wakeful night, and when dawn broke I removed the stone that I had used to block the entrance and came out, staggering like a drunken man through the effects of sleeplessness, hunger and fear. Then, as I was walking, suddenly, to my astonishment, a large carcass fell in front of me although there was no one in sight. I thought of a travellers’ tale that I had heard long ago of the dangers of the diamond mountains and of how the only way the diamond traders can reach these is to take and kill a sheep, which they skin and cut up. They then throw it down from the mountain into the valley and, as it is fresh when it falls, some of the stones there stick to it. The traders leave it until midday, at which point eagles and vultures swoop down on it and carry it up to the mountain in their talons. Then the traders come and scare them away from the flesh by shouting at them, after which they go up and remove the stones that are sticking to it. The flesh is left for the birds and beasts and the stones are taken back home by the traders. This is the only way in which they can get hold of the diamonds.

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and forty-fifth night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that Sindbad started to tell his companions everything that had happened to him on the diamond mountain and how the merchants could only collect diamonds by the kind of trick that he described. SINDBAD CONTINUED:

  I looked at the carcass and remembered the story. So I went up to it and cleared away a large number of diamonds which I put in my purse and among my clothes, while I stored others in my pockets, my belt, my turban and elsewhere among my belongings. While I was doing this, another large carcass fell down and, lying on my back, I set it on my breast and tied myself to it with my turban, holding on to it and lifting it up from the ground. At that point an eagle came down and carried it off into the air in its talons, with me fastened to it. The eagle flew up to the mountain top where it deposited the carcass, and it was about to tear at it when there came a loud shout from behind it, together with the noise of sticks striking against rocks. The eagle took fright and flew off, and, having freed myself from the carcass, I stood there beside it, with my clothes all smeared with blood. At that point the trader who had shouted at the eagle came up, but when he saw me standing there he trembled and was too afraid of me to speak. He went to the carcass and turned it over, giving a great cry of disappointment and reciting the formula: ‘There is no might and no power except with God. We take refuge with God from Satan, the accursed.’ In his regret he struck the palms of his hands together, exclaiming: ‘Alas, alas, what is this?’

  I went up to him, and when he asked me who I was and why I had come there, I told him: ‘Don’t be afraid. I am a mortal man, of good stock, a former merchant. My story is very remarkable indeed, and there is a strange tale attached to my arrival at this mountain and this valley. There is no need for you to be frightened, for I have enough to make you happy – a large number of diamonds, of which I will give what will satisfy you, and each of my stones is better than anything else that you can get. So don’t be unhappy or alarmed.’

  The man thanked me, calling down blessings on me, and as we talked the other traders, each of whom had thrown down a carcass, heard the sound of our voices and came up to us. They congratulated me on my escape and, when they had taken me away with them, I told them my whole story, explaining the perils that I had endured on my voyage as well as the reason why I had got to the valley. After that, I presented many of the diamonds that I had with me to the man who had thrown down the carcass that I had used, and in his delight he renewed his blessings. The others exclaimed: ‘By God, fate has granted you a second life, for you are the first man ever to come here and escape from the valley. God be praised that you are safe.’

  I passed the night with them in a spot that was both pleasant and safe, delighted that I had escaped unhurt from the valley of the snakes and had got back to inhabited parts. At dawn we got up, and as we moved across the great mountain we could see huge numbers of snakes in the valley, but we kept on our way until we reached an orchard on a large and beautiful island, where there were camphor trees, each one of which could provide shade for a hundred people. Whoever wants to get some camphor must use a long tool to bore a hole at the top of the tree and then collect what comes out. The liquid camphor flows down and then solidifies like
gum, as this is the sap of the tree, and when it dries up, it can be used for firewood. On the island is a type of wild beast known as the rhinoceros, which grazes there just as cows and buffaloes do in our own parts. It is a huge beast with a body larger than that of a camel, a herbivore with a single horn some ten cubits long in the centre of its head containing what looks like the image of a man. There is also a species of cattle there. According to seafarers and travellers who have visited the mountain and its districts there, this rhinoceros can carry a large elephant on its horn and go on pasturing in the island and on the shore without paying any attention to it. The elephant, impaled on its horn, will then die, and in the heat of the sun grease from its corpse will trickle on to the head of the rhinoceros. When this gets into its eyes, it will go blind, and as it then lies down by the coast, a rukh will swoop on it and carry it off in its talons in order to feed its chicks both with the beast itself and with what is on its horn. On the island I saw many buffaloes of a type unlike any that we have at home.

  I exchanged a number of the stones that I had brought with me in my pocket from the diamond valley with the traders in return for a cash payment and some of the goods that they had brought with them, which they carried for me. I travelled on in their company, inspecting different lands and God’s creations, from one valley and one city to another, buying and selling as we went, until we arrived at Basra. We stayed there for a few days and then I returned to Baghdad.

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and forty-sixth night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when Sindbad returned from foreign parts, he went to Baghdad.

  When Sindbad reached Baghdad, the City of Peace, he went to his own district and entered his house. He had with him a large number of diamonds, as well as cash and a splendid display of all kinds of goods. After he had met his family and his relatives, he dispensed alms and gave gifts to every one of his relations and companions. He began to enjoy good food and wine, to dress in fine clothes and to frequent the company of his friends. He forgot all his past sufferings, and he continued to enjoy a pleasant, relaxed and contented life, with entertainments of all sorts. All those who had heard of his return would come and ask him about his voyage and about the lands that he had visited. He would tell them of his experiences and amaze them by recounting the difficulties with which he had had to contend, after which they would congratulate him on his safe return.