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Reading Notes: The Voyages of Sinbad, Part B

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

Sinbad leaves on his fifth journey, using his own ship this time, however, he invites other merchants to come along. During the trip, they stop and find another roc egg. This one is hatching. The other merchants, despite Sinbads protests, kill the hatchling and eat it. The rocs parents return and chase the fleeing ship with large stones. One hits the ship and it sinks.

Sinbad clings to a piece of driftwood until he reaches an island. Once there he finds groves of fruit trees and an old man wishing to cross a river. Sinbad takes him on his back and helps him across, however, the man clings to his neck with his feet and for several days, forces Sinbad to help him collect fruit from the trees. Sinbad uses a hollow gourd to make wine and the man drinks it, at which point Sinbad knocks him off.

He returns to the seashore and meets some merchants who take him to a village where he can collect coconuts by throwing stones at monkeys who throw the coconuts back. He sells the coconuts until he makes enough money to pay for passage back to Bagdad. On the way back, he trades more coconuts for other things and collects pearls, which he sells for immense profit.

He gets restless again and heads out on his sixth journey. The ship is caught in a storm and is dashed upon a mountain. The merchants and crew are stranded on a beach surrounded by lost treasures and the remains of other unfortunate sailors.

One by one, Sinbad's companions die and he is left alone. Finally, he makes a raft and sets out on a stream which enters a cave. He takes with him treasures and gems. He passes out but awakes to find himself out of the cave and found by natives. They take him to their king, Serendib who likes him and gives him more gifts and sends him back to Bagdad with gifts for the Caliph Haroun al Raschid.
Sinbad returns home and vows to be done traveling, however, the Caliph wants to return gifts to the king Serendib and wants Sinbad to deliver them.

Reluctantly, Sinbad agrees and goes back to Serendib, who receives him happily. Once more, he sends Sinbad back with gifts but on the way, the ship is attacked by pirates and Sinbad is sold into slavery. As a slave, he must kill elephants for ivory. The elephants capture him and carry him to an elephant graveyard where he can collect ivory without killing them.

His master is so grateful, he releases Sinbad and pays for him to return to Bagdad, where Sinbad stays for the rest of his life.

Sinbad carrying the Old Man of the Sea wikimedia

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