Sindbad The Sailor The Third Voyage

: Favorite Fairy Tales.

I soon resolved upon a third voyage, and once more took ship at Balsora.

After we had been at sea a few weeks, we were overtaken by a dreadful

storm, and were obliged to cast anchor near an island which the captain

had endeavored to avoid; for he assured us that it was inhabited by

pigmy savages, covered with hair, who would speedily attack us in great

numbers. Soon an innumerable multitude of frightful savages, about two

/> feet high, boarded the ship. Resistance was useless. They took down our

sails, cut our cable, towed the ship to land, and made us all go on

shore. We went towards the interior of the island and discovered a large

building. It was a lofty palace, having a gate of ebony, which we pushed

open, and soon discovered a room in which were human bones and roasting

spits. Presently there appeared a hideous black man, who was as tall as

a palm tree. He had but one eye, his teeth were long and sharp, and his

nails like the talons of a bird. He took me up as I would a kitten, but

finding I was little better than skin and bone, put me down with

contempt. The captain, being the fattest of the party, was sacrificed

to his appetite. When the monster had finished his meal he stretched

himself upon a great stone bench in the portico, and fell asleep,

snoring louder than thunder. In this manner he slept till morning. In

the morning he went out. I said to my companions:



"Do not waste time in useless sorrow; let us hurry to look for timber

to make rafts."






We found some timber on the seashore, and labored hard; but having no

tools, it was evening before we had finished; and while we were on the

point of pushing the raft off the beach, our hideous tyrant returned

and drove us to his palace, as if we had been a flock of sheep. We saw

another of our companions sacrificed, and the giant lay down to sleep as

before. Our desperate condition gave us courage; nine of us got up very

softly, and held the points of the roasting spits in the fire until we

made them red-hot; we then thrust them at once into the monster's eye.

He uttered a frightful scream, and having tried in vain to find us,

opened the ebony gate and left the palace. We did not stay long behind

him, but ran to the seashore, got our rafts ready, and waited for

daylight to embark. But at dawn we beheld our monstrous enemy, led by

two giants of equal size, and followed by many others. We jumped upon

our rafts, and pushed them from the shore, the tide helping us. The

giants seeing us likely to escape, tore great pieces of rock, and wading

in the water up to their waists, hurled them at us with all their might.

They sank every one of the rafts but that on which I was; thus all my

companions, except two, were drowned. We rowed as fast as we could, and

got out of the reach of these monsters. We were at sea two days, but at

last found a pleasant island. After eating some fruit, we lay down to

sleep, but were soon awakened by the hissing of an enormous serpent. One

of my comrades was instantly devoured by this terrific creature. I

climbed up a tree as fast as I could, and reached the topmost branches;

my remaining companion was following me, but the dreadful reptile

entwined itself round the tree and caught him. The serpent then went

down and glided away. I waited until late the next day before I ventured

to descend. Evening again approached, and I gathered together a great

quantity of small wood, brambles, and thorns. Having made them into

fagots, I formed a circle round the tree, and fastened the uppermost to

the branches of the tree. I then climbed up to the highest branches. At

night the serpent came again, but could not reach the tree; and crawling

vainly round and round my little fortification until daylight, he went

away. The next day I spied a ship in full sail a long way off. With the

linen of my turban I made a signal, which was perceived. I was taken on

board the ship and there told my adventures. The captain was very kind

to me. He said that he had some bales of goods which had belonged to a

merchant who had unintentionally left him some time ago on an

uninhabited island. As this man was undoubtedly dead, he intended to

sell the goods for the benefit of his relatives, and I should have the

profit of selling them. I now recollected this was the captain with whom

I sailed on my second voyage. I soon convinced him that I was really

Sindbad, whom he supposed to have been lost. He was delighted at the

discovery, and eagerly acknowledged that the property was mine. I

continued my voyage, sold my goods to great advantage, and returned

to Bagdad.



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