I fell on to the ground like a dead man and lay for a long time with my eyes closed. It was some time before I began to crawl on my hands and knees towards the edge of the woods, where I found nuts, berries and reviving spring water. Feeling somewhat better, I began to explore the island, and found it to be a pleasant one. After walking sometime I caught the outline of a living thing – drawing closer I saw it to be a beautiful and noble horse, tethered on the beach. I stooped down and picked a clutch of long grass, still wet with the morning dew, and took it to the horse who was a gentle and lovely mare. She nibbled it out of the palm of my hand. Then all of a sudden something startled her. She neighed and pulled at her rope. Looking round, I saw, emerging from the waves, a giant horse – a white sea stallion – who was coming for the mare. I was as startled as the mare by this impossible creature, and I ran back for cover of the woods. From there, I saw that the stallion had taken the mare’s rope in his mouth and was dragging her into the sea where she would surely drown. This sight filled my heart with pity. I picked up a stick and ran back to the beach where I began to beat the sea-stallion around the head. He might surely have turned and kicked me to death, but so furious was my attack that he thought better of it and ran back into the waves from where he had come.The mare was still frisking to and fro with fright, but I took the rope and calmed her down. A few minutes later I was joined on the beach by a man who called out to me: “Who are you and where are you from?”
“My Lord,” I replied. “I am Sinbad the Sailor, whose ship landed on the back of a great whale, and who would have drowned had not Allah preserved me and sent me a wooden trough, clinging to which I was washed ashore here on this lovely island. And now I have told you who I am, please return the favour and tell me who you are.”
He replied: “I am one of the kings grooms, and I look after his favourite mare whom you just saved from being dragged into the sea and drowned by the sea-stallion.”
And this encounter proved to be my great fortune, for the groom lead me to the capital city and the palace. Here I had the honour of meeting King Mihrjan and when I had told him my story he marvelled and said:
“By Allah you have indeed been miraculously preserved! The fates must have decreed a long life for you, or you would have surely been drowned a thousand times over. You are one who is blessed by Allah your safety.”
Believing me to be favoured by God, he treated me kindly. Indeed, he gave me a lucrative job as master of his port and registrar of all the ships that were put in there. One day, the very same ship that I had sailed in visited the island. The captain immediately recognised me and embraced me in his arms.
“Your goods are still safe in the hull of my ship,” he said.
“This was the most unexpected good news, thanks be to Allah. I offered the goods as a gift to King Mihrjan who had shown me such good favour. In return he made me a gift of treasure that was worth twenty times its value. We sailed to Basra where I increased the value of my goods another tenfold in the market place. And so I returned to Baghdad as a wealthy man. I bought this palace, and many servants, and set up a great establishment, and soon began to forget all that I had suffered. This then is my first miraculous story. Tomorrow I shall tell you the tale of my second of seven voyages, if you will return to my house.”
And so saying, Sinbad the Sailor gave Sinbad the Porter 100 gold coins for his time, and the porter left for his humble home, pondering his great good fortune.
0
Reviews (0)