Sinbad the Sailor
Seven wild voyages across far seas — a whale that was an island, a bird as big as a cloud, and a valley full of diamonds
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Long ago in the great city of Baghdad there lived a poor porter who carried heavy loads through the hot streets for a few small coins. One blazing afternoon he set down his burden to rest outside a splendid house, and sighed that life had been so hard to him and so easy to others. The rich man who owned the house heard him, and smiled, and called him inside out of the sun. "My friend, we share a name, for I too am called Sinbad," he said. "But do not envy me. I was not always rich, and I did not come by my fortune gently." He set fruit and cool water before the tired porter, and began, at last, to tell the tale of his seven astonishing voyages across the far seas.
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On his first voyage, Sinbad sailed with a crew of merchants until they came to a low green island rising from the calm sea. Glad of dry land, the sailors went ashore, lit a little cooking-fire, and began to laugh and feast. But no sooner had the flames warmed the ground than the whole island shuddered beneath their feet! It was no island at all, but the back of an enormous sleeping whale, and the fire had woken it. "Back to the ship! Quickly, all of you!" bellowed the captain. The sailors dashed for the boats as the great creature began to stir and sink. Sinbad, the last ashore, snatched up a round wooden washing-tub as the whale rolled gently under, and clung to it as the current carried him far, far away from the ship.
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The tub carried Sinbad safely to a green and lonely island, thick with fruit trees and clear streams. He thanked his stars and wandered inland to explore. There, in a wide clearing, he found an astonishing thing — a vast smooth white dome, taller than a house, with no door and no window anywhere upon it. As he walked round it in wonder, the daylight suddenly dimmed, as though a great cloud had swallowed the sun. Sinbad looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. Down out of the sky came a bird so enormous that its wings stretched wider than a ship's sails — the mighty Roc, come home to its nest. For the great white dome was its egg! Quick as thought, Sinbad hid himself against the shell and watched the colossal bird settle gently down to brood.
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All night Sinbad lay hidden against the great egg while the Roc slept above it. He thought of his ship, so far away, and of how he might ever leave this lonely island. Then a bold idea came to him. When the first light of dawn touched the trees, he unwound the long cloth of his turban, crept to the brooding bird, and tied himself fast to one of its enormous scaly legs. "Wherever you fly, mighty Roc, you shall carry me with you," he said. At sunrise the great bird spread its wings and rose into the sky, and Sinbad rose with it — up over the treetops, up over the shining sea, up over range after range of blue mountains. At last the Roc swooped down and landed in a deep and narrow valley, and there, as gently as he could, Sinbad untied himself and dropped to the ground.
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Sinbad found himself at the bottom of a deep, steep-walled valley whose floor sparkled and flashed in every direction. The ground was strewn with diamonds, more than any king had ever owned — but the cliffs were far too high and smooth to climb. As he wondered what to do, great joints of meat came tumbling down from the cliff-tops above. Then Sinbad remembered an old sailor's tale: clever merchants threw down meat so the diamonds would stick to it, and great eagles, smelling the feast, carried the meat back up to their nests, where the merchants gathered the jewels. So Sinbad filled his pockets and sash with diamonds, chose the largest joint of meat, and bound himself firmly to it with his sash. Soon a huge eagle seized the meat, and Sinbad with it, and bore him swiftly up and out of the glittering valley.
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The astonished merchants on the cliff-top welcomed Sinbad warmly, marvelling that a living man had come up with their eagles. He shared his story and some of his diamonds, and they gladly carried him down to the coast and aboard a homeward ship. In time Sinbad came back to Baghdad richer than ever he had dreamed, and for a while he lived in comfort and ease. But the sea was in his blood, and comfort soon grew dull. Again and again, when his gold was spent or his feet grew restless, he kissed his home goodbye, loaded a ship with goods, and set sail for distant ports — to trade, to wonder, and to meet whatever the far horizons might hold. And each voyage brought him a new marvel, and a new danger to escape by his wits.
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On another voyage Sinbad was wrecked on a green island, and there by a stream he met a strange little old man who signed that he could not walk, and begged to be carried across the water. Kind Sinbad lifted him onto his shoulders — but the moment he did, the odd creature locked his thin legs tight and would not climb down! Day after day the Old Man of the Sea rode upon him and would not let go. But Sinbad did not lose heart. One day he found ripe grapes, pressed their sweet juice into a hollow gourd, and left it in the sun to grow rich and merry. He drank a little, grew cheerful, and danced — and the curious old man, longing to try it, drank deeply too. Soon the creature grew drowsy and glad, his grip loosened, and gentle Sinbad slipped quietly free at last.
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On yet another island, Sinbad and the sailors from his ship found a great stone hall, and in it lived a huge, slow, sleepy giant, taller than three men, who kept them as curious guests and dozed for hours by his fire. The sailors were frightened of being kept forever on that lonely shore. So, while the giant snored in the warm firelight, Sinbad gathered his companions and whispered his plan. Through the long moonlit night they worked without a sound, lashing driftwood and broken spars into a sturdy raft upon the beach. When all was ready and the giant still slept soundly, they pushed the raft gently into the silver water and paddled away from the island as quietly as they could, until the dark shore sank behind them and the open, friendly sea lay all around.
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On his last voyage, Sinbad was set to gather ivory in a far green country, and each day he climbed a tall tree to watch the great elephants pass below. But the wise old elephants soon knew he was there. One morning the largest of them, instead of trumpeting in anger, wrapped its trunk gently round the tree and lowered it, and beckoned Sinbad to climb upon its broad back. The whole herd led him deep into the forest to a quiet hidden hill, heaped high with the ivory tusks of elephants who had lived long lives and died in peace. They were showing him he need never hunt them again. Sinbad bowed low in thanks, took only the ivory the ground freely gave, and left the gentle giants in peace. With that treasure he sailed home to Baghdad for the last time, rich, wise and content.
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When the long tale was told, the sun was setting over Baghdad, and the poor porter sat amazed. "You see," said Sinbad the Sailor, "every piece of gold I own was bought with a fright and a narrow escape. The sea gave, but it nearly kept me a dozen times over. It was never luck that saved me — only courage, a cool head, and a kind heart." Then he pressed a heavy purse of gold into the porter's hands and asked him to come again, and often, and share his table. From that day the two Sinbads were the firmest of friends, and the porter never again envied another man's fortune, for he had learned the truest treasure of all: that wonders are won by the brave, kept by the clever, and made sweet only when they are shared.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
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