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91-5-2 -
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbaad of the Sea:
Sindbaad on the Island of the Apes
See also "The
Third Voyage of Sindbaad of the Sea" about his confrontation with apes.
On
the 558th Night
Next
night, Shaharzaad resumed her story - "Sindbaad continued the account of
his fifth voyage his story - After I had thrown him from my shoulder, I
scarcely believed that I had liberated myself from him. Then fearing from
him, I brought a heavy stone and struck him on his head and killed him.
May no mercy of God be on him.
I came
back to my old place on the sea shore and
remained there for a length of time waiting for some vessel to pass by.
One day as I was sitting and thinking about the past events, I said to
myself, "What will happen if I do not return to my country, and meet my
family, my companions etc" and Lo, I saw a ship coming towards the island
and then anchored at that island. The passengers landed there and I ran to
them. As they
saw me they asked about my state and cause of coming to that island. I
told them my story and they wondered at me. Then they told that the man
rode on my shoulders was the Old Man of the Sea, and no one ever carried
him on his back and escaped from him except me. Then they brought me some
food, took me on the ship, gave me some clothing, and took me with them on
their ship.
Then
we came to the city of Apes lofty buildings and its all houses overlooked the
sea. When the night came, its people people went out of their house and
spent night upon the sea in the fear of the apes, lest they come down from
the mountains. I landed on this island
to amuse myself, and the ship sailed off without my knowledge and I
repented of my landing on this island remembering my companions. I sat
weeping and crying, that a man came to me and said to me - "It seems,
you are a stranger to this place." And I said, "Yes." He
said - "Arise, and come with us, embark on the boat, for if you
remained on the island in the night, the apes will destroy you." I
obeyed him, so I went with him on his boat. They took the boat in the sea
for about a mile. We passed the night there, came back in the morning and
started their work. This was their life. The apes came in the night and went
back in the morning on
the mountain. And this city was in the farthest part of the country of the
blacks.
Among
the most wonderful events that happened to me on this island, that a
person with whom I passed the night, said to me - "O My Master, You
are a stranger to this country, are you skilled in any art with which you
can make your living?" I said - "No, By Allaah, my brother. I am
a merchant and I do not know how to make anything. I had a ship of my own
which wrecked in the sea. I found a plank of the ship and escaped from the
drowning." Upon this the man rose and brought me a cotton bag and
said to me - "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from this city
and go forth with a party of the inhabitants. I will introduce you to them
and you also do what they do. Perhaps by this means you will be able to go
back to your country."
So the
man took me to the city, and I picked up small pebbles and filled my bag
with them. A party of men came from the city, so he gave my charge to them
telling them to teach me the mode of gathering, so that I can gain some
means of subsistence and obtain a reward." So they also gathered the
pebbles and took me along with them. We came to a wide valley where there
were many lofty trees which nobody could climb upon. There were so many
apes also, when they saw us, they fled from us and ascended the trees. The
men started hitting them with those pebbles they had collected, upon which
the apes began to pluck the fruits of the trees and throwing them down.
Those fruits were cocoa nuts.
So I
also chose a tree and started hitting those stones to apes sitting on it.
They plucked the nuts and threw them to me. I continued this till the
stones in my bag had exhausted and I had collected a lot of nuts. Each of
us carried as many nuts as he could. When I returned I gave all those nuts
to the man who gave this advice, but he refused to take them and said -
"Go and sell them and make use of its price. Then he gave me a key of
a place in his house and said - "You may put your nuts which remain
from selling. And go to that spot everyday with others, collect them,
separate the bad ones and sell the good ones and make use of its proceeds.
Perhaps this money may help you going back to your country." I said
to him - "God will give you reward of this kindness to
me."
I did
as he told me. I collected a large quantity of these nuts, and so
increased my wealth too. I bought whatever pleased me. I passed my days
like this for a length of time. Once I was standing by the seaside, I saw
a vessel coming towards the island and it cast its anchor by the shore.
The merchants in there exchanged their goods with cocoa nuts. I went to my
companion and informed about the coming of the ship, and he asked me if I
wanted to go with it and I said, "Yes." "Well, It is you
who have to decide." I bade him farewell, thanked him for his
kindness and embarked the ship."
On
the 559th Night
"They
sailed the ship same day. I sold my nuts on other islands also. We passed an
island where there were cinnamon and pepper; and some people told me that
they had seen, upon every bunch of pepper, there was a large leaf shading it to
protect it from the sun and the rain. And when the rain ceases to fall upon it, the leaf
turns over the bunch and hangs down by its side. I took a large quantity
of cinnamon and pepper from that island in exchange of cocoa nuts. We
passed also by the Island of Al-Esarat where there was Kamaaree
aloes-wood, then we came to another island where was Chinese Aloes-wood at
the distance of five days of journey. Here the people do not know praying
so they do not pray. Then we came to the pearl-fisheries
where I gave the cocoa nuts to the divers to dive for me and bring a large
number of valuable pearls.
Then
we came back to Basaraa. I stayed there for some time and then came back
to my home in Bagadaad. I met my family and companions, and saluted them;
and they congratulated on my safe return. I gave clothes to orphans,
bestowed alms to widows, and gave gifts to my family, friends and
relations. God gave me more than I had before. I forgot my sufferings
because of the gains and profits. I spent some days enjoying that wealth.
This was the account of my fifth journey. Now tomorrow I will tell you the
account of my sixth journey."
After
that they all had food and drink, Sindbaad of the Sea gave 100 Deenaars to
Hammaal and Hammaal came back to is home from there. Next morning he again
went to Sindbaad of the Sea to listen to his sixth voyage. Sindbaad
welcomed him and when others had arrived there, they all had food and
drink. After that Sindbaad started telling the account of his sixth voyage
thus ...
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