THE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
ON THE FIFTH NIGHT
Sheherazade said:
Sindbad the Sailor continued:
"The captain exclaimed: "There is no recourse and power except in Allah the Most High, the Omnipotent! There is no more conscience and honesty in any creature of this world! How dare you, O shrewd scribe, pretend to be Sindbad the Sailor, when we have all seen with our eyes Sindbad drown with all the merchants! What a shame on you to lie so impudently!"
So I answered: “Certainly, O captain, lying is the prerogative of the cheats! Listen to me, because I'm going to prove to you that I am Sindbad the Drowned!" And I related to the captain various incidents known only to me and to him, and which had occurred during that cursed crossing. Then the captain no longer doubted my identity and he called the passing merchants, and all together congratulated me on my deliverance and said to me: “By Allah! we couldn't believe you were able to save yourself from drowning! But Allah has given you a second life!
After that, the captain hastened to deliver my goods to me, which I immediately carried to the souk, after making sure, however, that nothing was missing and that my name and seal were still on the bundles.
Once at the souk, I opened my bundles and sold the greater part of my goods, with a profit of one hundred for one, but I took care to reserve a few valuable objects which I hastened to offer as a present to the King Mihrajan.
The king, to whom I related the arrival of the captain and the ship, was extremely astonished at this unexpected occurrence, and, as he loved me very much, he did not want to be with me out of kindness, and gave me invaluable gifts which contributed not a little to enrich me. For I hastened to sell all these and thus realize a considerable fortune, which I carried on board the very ship on which I had undertaken my voyage.
This done, I went to the palace to take leave of King Mihrajan and thank him for all his generosity and protection. He dismissed me with very touching words, and did not let me go until he had again offered me sumptuous presents and expensive objects that I could not make up my mind to sell this time, and that elsewhere you see before you in this hall, O my honorable guests! I also took care to take with me, for any cargo, the perfumes that you smell here, aloe wood, camphor, incense, and sandal, products of this remote island.
I then hurried on board, and the ship immediately set sail, with the permission of Allah. So we were favored by fortune and helped by fate during this crossing which lasted days and nights, and finally, we arrived one morning, in good health, in sight of Basra, where we stopped only a very short time, to immediately go up the river and finally return, the soul in joy, in the city of peace, Baghdad, my country.
I arrived in this way, laden with riches and with a hand ready for largesse, in my street, and I entered my house, where I saw again my family and my friends, all in good health. And I hastened to buy slaves in large quantities, of both sexes, beautiful secret women, negros, and lands and houses and properties, more than I had ever had when my father died.
I forgot, in this new life, the past vicissitudes, the pains and the dangers experienced, the sadness of exile, the pains and fatigues of the journey. I had many delightful friends, and I lived a life full of ease and pleasure and free from cares and worries, for a very long time, enjoying with all my soul what pleased me, by eating wonderful foods and drinking precious drinks.
And this is the first of my trips!
But tomorrow, if Allah wills, I will tell you, O my guests, the second of the seven journeys that I undertook, and which is much more extraordinary than the first!"
And Sindbad the Sailor turned to Sindbad the Porter and begged him to dine with him. Then, after treating him with great respect and affability, gave him a thousand pieces of gold and, before leaving him, invited him to come back the next day, saying to him: "You will be a delight in your urbanity and delight in your good manners!" And Sindbad the Porter answered: "On my head and on my eye! I obey with respect! And let there be continual joy in your house, O my master!"
So he got out of there, after having again thanked him and taken with him the present he had just received, and he returned home marveling at the limit of marvel and thinking all night long about what he had just heard and experienced.
So, early in the morning, he hastened to return to the house of Sindbad the Sailor...
At this point in her narration, Sheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.