7 The Tale of Sinbad the Sailor and Sinbad the Porter

CHAPTER 7 The Tale of Sinbad the Sailor and Sinbad the Porter THE TWENTY-THIRD NIGHT The following night, when Scheherazade was in bed, her sister Dinarzad said, "Please, sister, tell us one of your lovely little tales." The king added, "Let it be even more amazing than the last." Scheherazade replied, "With the greatest

pleasure!" It is said, O great King, that in Baghdad there was a poor porter named Sinbad. One day, he set his load of goods down before the gates of a rich merchant. From inside, he heard the sounds of lutes playing and people dancing and eating. Sinbad prayed to God, cursing his misery and complaining about his poor luck in life. Just as he had finished his prayer, the gates swung open. Sinbad walked in. He saw a beautiful house, like none he had seen before. The merchant welcomed him kindly, asking his name. "My name is Sinbad the Porter," he replied. The host said, "My name is the same, for I am called Sinbad the Sailor." Then he asked the porter to sit down, and Sinbad the Sailor told him of his voyages and the many dangers he had faced:

My father was a rich man and left me a lot of money. But it did not help me. I wasted the money away until there was hardly anything left. I took what remained and bought goods to take on a trading voyage at sea. We passed from island to island and finally came to one that was just as beautiful as paradise itself. We had just started a fire for cooking when I heard the captain crying, "Run! In the name of God, run for the ship!" We all ran, not knowing then that the whole island was actually a giant fish. We were too late. Some made it to the ship, but others of us were tossed into the wild ocean by the jerking and shaking of the fish. The strong tide soon pulled me to an island, where I landed on the beach. Looking around, I spotted a beautiful horse tied to a tree by the shore. As I was walked over to the horse, the ground split open and a man came out. He asked me what my story was.

When I told him, he led me downstairs, beneath the earth, where he gave me food and drink. He told a peculiar tale. He was the servant of a great king who sent him here at every new moon and ordered him to tie his horse by the shore. Each time, the waves of the sea would wash up near the mare. The servant would untie the horse and watch her plunge wildly into the sea. When the mare returned from the sea, she would be pregnant. Later, she would deliver a colt worth a great deal of money. I was amazed at this story, but I went along with the servant, and everything he had spoken of came true. Then the servant brought me to the other side of island and introduced me to his king, who treated me kindly and put me to work meeting ships as they came into the port. I lived this way for many months before a familiar ship arrived. The sailors aboard said that the owner had died, and I asked them for his name. "Sinbad," they replied. I told them I was the man

they spoke of. Looking again, they recognized me and welcomed me with open arms. The ship had made a lot of money from selling my goods, and I gave some of it to the king to thank him. Then I sailed home, richer than ever before. I promised never to take such a voyage again. But morning drew near Scheherazade, and she fell silent. Dinarzad said to her sister, "Sister, what an amazing story!" Scheherazade replied, "It is nothing compared with what I will tell you tomorrow, if the king lets me live." THE TWENTY-FOURTH NIGHT The following night, when Scheherazade was in bed, her sister Dinarzad said, "Please, sister, tell us another of your lovely little tales." The king added, "Let it be more amazing than the last." Scheherazade replied, "As you wish!"

It is said, O happy King, that after hearing the story, Sinbad the Porter thanked his host and prepared to leave. Sinbad the Sailor invited him to return the next day and dine with him again. So the porter returned to the house the next day. Once more, the gates swung open, and once more he found people eating and dancing inside the beautiful home. Sinbad the Sailor welcomed him kindly, asked him to sit, and gave him food and drink. Then the sailor resumed the tale of his adventures and the many great dangers he had faced: After I had been at home some years, I desired to travel again. I bought goods and set out on a trading voyage with a number of merchants. We came to a lovely and deserted island and stopped for a while there. I fell asleep. Later I woke with terror to find that the ship was gone.