My first voyage had been very profitable. I was again a wealthy man. I did not lack for luxury or entertainment. But, my friend, I could not rest for long. I had tasted the salt air and the thrill of travel and adventure. Soon I was pulled by the will of Allah back to the seaport at Basra, where I found a newly-made ship with fine sails and the best equipment. The captain was gathering merchants for a voyage. I booked my place with him, and then went to the market to buy up goods for trade.
We set sail the very next day, and cruised from island to island in the fine weather. Wherever we landed we found a crowd of merchants and clients eager to do business with us. At last we came to a peaceful island, with no sign of human inhabitants. It was a lovely place, with green trees, brightly coloured birds, and cool running streams. I roamed around and found a pleasant spot to eat the lunch that I had brought with me. After I had enjoyed my food, I allowed my eyes to close, and fell into a pleasant sleep.
When I awoke, I felt uneasy. I hurried back to the beach where we had come ashore. My fellow travellers had left tracks in the sand. I found the skins of fruit that they had eaten, and the smokey remains of a fire that they had lit for cooking. But they themselves were gone. They had left me. I was marooned.
Now I sat down on the shore and looked out to sea. All the time I expected to see our ship sail back around the headland to pick me up, but she did not. The crew, and my fellow merchants, had forgotten all about me. Tears came into my eyes as I thought of the life I had lost in Baghdad. My fine house, the silken cushions on my bed, the playful fountain in my courtyard, the purple rose petals of my garden, the smell of roast meat from my kitchen, my servants, the company of my friends - there was no luxury that I lacked then. Now I had exchanged all those comforts for a bed of leaves on a desert island.
The tears stung my eyes. I felt that a djinn had climbed inside my head and was going to drive me crazy. I had to stop all this weeping and pull myself together. Perhaps I was not as alone as I thought? After all, I had not explored the whole island. I got up and walked back to the tall tree underneath which I had slept earlier. I grabbed hold of a branch and pulled myself up onto it. Then I climbed and climbed round and round the tree until I reached the top. From there I surveyed the island. I could not see a plume of smoke or any sign of human life. But I did see some sort of strange building - a giant dome, smooth and white. This I had to examine more closely.
I climbed down to the ground and walked in the direction of the dome. When I reached it, I strode all around and counted 50 paces. I ran my hands over its sides, hoping to find a secret door, but there was none that I could discover. It felt, if anything, like an eggshell.
I sat down for a while, and towards evening the sky turned dark. At first, I thought that perhaps a large storm cloud had blown overhead, but as I looked up I realised that the cloud was in fact a giant bird. Its wings were flapping and gusts of wind sent twigs and leaves flying this way and that. I ran to hide among the trees and saw the feathered monster descend and land on the egg. While it settled there, I recalled travellers’ tales of a bird, monstrous in size, called a Roc.
“Yes, this is indeed such a creature,” I thought. I was seized by a reckless impulse. I was so desperate to escape the deserted island that I was willing to try even the maddest of ideas. I crawled out of my hiding place, and crept towards the brooding bird. When I reached it, I climbed up onto its giant claw and tied myself to its leg using the cloth from my turban. There, upon the bird’s foot, I spent the most uncomfortable night of my life. When morning came, the bird awoke from its slumbers and began to stretch out gigantic wings. Then it began to flap them, causing great gushes of wind. We arose high into the air. I could see the island below me, and the sparkling blue sea
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