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Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sinbad, Part A

The Voyages of Sinbad from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang

This tale was within the Arabian Nights story which I had already read. In it, Sinbad the sailor, who has met another Sinbad, is telling his story. He began as an idle rich man but decided to become a merchant. On his first trip, they had stopped at an island which turned out to be a whale. He was plunged into the ocean and the ship left without him. He managed to float to a real island where he found some grooms which took him to their king. He was accepted into the country and meets with the arriving merchants to find passage back to his homeland. 
He by chance meets with the captain of the ship he was originally on and once he convinces the captain who he is, he gets his original merchandise back. He gives some of it to the king, who gives him gifts in return, and sells the rest. When he gets home, he is even richer than before and lives contentedly for a while but then sets sail again. 
This time, he falls asleep when they stop at an island and is left behind. He finds a giant egg and sees a roc return to it. The next morning, he ties himself to the rocs foot and when it flies, he goes with it. It lands on an island with giant snakes, which Sinbad manages to avoid. The land is also scattered with diamonds. 
Natives throw pieces of meat down, hoping an eagle will pick it up and take it to their nest where the native will go to see if any diamonds came with it. Sinbad collects some diamonds, ties the meat to himself and waits until an eagle picks him up. He gives some of the diamonds to the natives and after selling them, he eventually returns home with his profits. 
However, he is soon restless and leaves again. This time he is swept up by a storm. The ships is carried to an island where it is captured by savages who leave the crew on an island with a one-eyed giant who begins to eat them one by one. Like Odysseus in the Odyssey, Sinbad stabs the giant in the eye, blinding it, Then he and his crew leave on rafts they made, however, the giant, with some friends, throw rocks and kill all but one raft. 
Sinbad and two crewmen make it to a new island but his companions are promptly killed by a giant snake. Sinbad manages to stay alive and hails a passing ship. It is the same one from his second voyage. He receives his original wares which he sells for immense profits. 
On the fourth voyage, his crew is taken by black cannibals who drug his companions and eat them. Sinbad escapes and finds himself in a city where the king accepts him. He teaches them to ride with saddles and bridle and in return he is given riches and esteemed. However, as is custom, when his wife dies, Sinbad is lowered into the grave with her with a little food. He manages to kill other spouses being lowered down and gets their food so he survives for a while until he finds a way out. He takes some of the riches the people were buried with and manages to again hail a ship and sell what he has taken for great profit. 

Photo Credits: flikr

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