THE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
ON THE FIFTEENTH NIGHT
Sheherazade said:
Then they themselves let go of the ropes by throwing them at me, stopped up the mouth of the well with the large stones, and went on their way, without listening to my pitiful cries.
Soon the stench of this underground place had me holding my nose. But that did not prevent me, thanks to the little light that descended from the top, from inspecting this mortuary cave, filled with ancient and recent corpses. It was very spacious and extended so far that my eyes could not fathom its depth. So I threw myself on the ground, weeping, and cried out: “You well deserve your fate, Sindbad of the insatiable soul! Besides, why did you need to take a wife in this town? Ah! Why did you not succumb in the valley of diamonds? or have you been devoured by the eaters of men? Would to Allah that you had been swallowed up by the sea in one of your shipwrecks, rather than succumbing to such a terrible death! And with that, I started banging my head and stomach everywhere. However, pressed by hunger and thirst, I could not make up my mind to starve to death, and I untied the loaves and the pot of water from the rope, and ate and drank, but sparingly, in anticipation of the following days.
I lived like this for a few days, gradually getting used to the unbearable smell of this cave, and I fell asleep on the ground in a place where I had taken care to clear the bones that littered it. But soon I saw the moment come when I would have neither bread nor water left. And that moment has come. So, in absolute despair, I took my leap of faith and was about to close my eyes to wait for death, when suddenly above my head I saw the opening of the well open and lowered a dead man into a coffin. And, after him, his wife with the seven loaves and the water jug.
So I waited until the men upstairs had blocked the orifice again and, without making the slightest noise, very gently, I seized a large bone, and with one leap I was on top of the woman whom a blow on the head knocked out; and, to make sure of her death, I gave her a second and a third blow with all my might. I then took the seven loaves and the water and thus had provisions for a few more days.
At the end of this time, again the orifice opened and a dead woman and a man were lowered this time. I did not fail, for the soul is dear! to strike the man down and take away his bread and water. And I continued to live like this for a long time, each time killing the person who was buried alive and stealing their provisions.
One of the days, I was sleeping in my usual place, when I awoke with a start at an unusual noise. It was like a human breath and the sound of footsteps. I got up and took this bone which I used to knock out the individuals buried alive, to direct me to the side where the noise seemed to come from. After a few steps, I thought I could see that something was taking flight, blowing forcefully. So I, still armed with my bone, I followed this fleeing shadow, I followed it for a long time, and I continued to run behind it in the darkness, stumbling at each step over the bones of the dead, when suddenly, straight in front of me, at the back of the grotto, I thought I saw something like a luminous star which sometimes shone and sometimes went out. I kept walking in that direction, and as I walked I saw the light grow and expand. But I dared not believe that it was there, an opening through which to escape to the outside; and I said to myself: "It must certainly be a second orifice of this well, through which men are lowering a corpse!" So what was my emotion when I saw the fleeing shadow, which was nothing but an animal, take off and leap through this orifice. Then I understood that this was a hole dug by animals to come and eat the dead bodies in the cave. And I jumped behind the beast and suddenly found myself in the open air, under the sky.
At this realization, I fell on my knees and thanked the Most High with all my heart for my deliverance; and I quieted my soul and calmed it in its turmoil.
I then looked into the heavens, and I saw that I was at the foot of a mountain, by the seashore; and I noticed that this mountain should have no communication with the city, so steep and impassable was it. I tried, in fact, to make the ascent, but in vain. So, so as not to starve, I entered the cave through the hole in question and went to get some bread and water; and I returned to feed on it under the sky: which I did with a much better appetite than during my sojourn among the dead.
I continued to go into the cave every day to remove the loaves and water, knocking out those who were buried alive. Then I had the idea of collecting all the jewels of the dead, the diamonds, the bracelets, the necklaces, the pearls, the rubies, the engraved metals, the precious fabrics, and all the gold and silver objects. And each time I carried my loot to the seaside, in the hope that one day I could save myself with these riches. And, so that everything was ready, I made it into bundles well wrapped with the clothes of those, men or women, who were in the cave.
I was sitting one day thinking about my adventures and my present state, by the seashore, when I saw a ship pass fairly close to my mountain. I got up hastily, unrolled the canvas of my turban, and began to wave it with great gestures and loud cries, running along the shore. By the grace of Allah, the people of the ship saw my signals and untied a boat to come and take me and carry me on board. They took me with them and were willing to take charge of my bundles as well.
When we had arrived on board, the captain approached me and said to me: "O you, who are you and how did you manage to find yourself on this mountain where, for the time that I have been sailing in these parts, I have only ever seen wild animals and birds of prey, but never a human being?" I replied: “O my master, I am a poor merchant, a stranger to these lands. I was embarked on a large ship that was shipwrecked on this coast; and I, alone among all my companions, was able, thanks to my courage and my endurance, to save myself from drowning and save with me my bundles of goods by putting them on a large plank which I was able to seize in time when that ship was disabled! Destiny and my fate threw me on this shore, and Allah willed that I should not have died of hunger and thirst!" And this is what I said to the captain, being careful not to tell him the truth about my marriage and my burial, for fear that there was on board someone from this city where reigned the dreadful custom of which I had almost been the victim!
When I finished my speech to the captain, I took from one of my bundles a beautiful object of price and offered it to him as a present, so that he would look favorably on me during the trip. But, to my great surprise, he showed rare disinterestedness, did not want to accept my present, and said to me in a benevolent tone: “I am not in the habit of being paid for a good deed. You are not the first we have picked up at sea. We have rescued other shipwrecked people, we transported them to their country, for Allah; and not only did we not want to be paid, but, as they were destitute of everything, we gave them food and drink, and we clothed them; and, always for Allah, we gave them enough to cover their travel expenses! Because men owe themselves to their fellows, for Allah!"
At these words, I thanked the captain and made wishes for him, wishing him a long life, as he ordered the sails to be unfurled and the ship to sail.
We sailed excellently for days and days, from island to island and from sea to sea, while I lay deliciously for hours thinking of my strange adventures and wondering if I had really experienced all these evils. or if I was not in a dream. And sometimes even, thinking of my stay in the subterranean cave with my dead wife, I felt myself going mad with terror.
But finally, by the power of Allah the Most High, we arrived in good health at Basra, where we only stopped for a few days, to then enter Baghdad.
Then I, laden with infinite riches, took the road to my street and my house, where I arrived and where I found my parents and my friends; they celebrated my return and rejoiced to the extreme congratulating me on my salvation. So I carefully locked up my treasures in cupboards, not forgetting however to give great alms to the poor, to widows and orphans, and great generosity to friends and acquaintances. And since then I never ceased to indulge myself in all amusements and all pleasures, in the company of pleasant people.
But all that I told you there is really nothing compared to what I have in mind to tell you tomorrow, Allah willing!
Thus spoke Sindbad that day! And he did not fail to have a hundred pieces of gold given to the porter and to invite him to dine with him, in the company of the notables who were present. Then everyone went home, amazed by it all.
As for Sindbad the Porter...
At this point in her narration, Sheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.
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