On the 558th Night

Next night, Shaharzaad resumed her story - "Sindbaad continued the account of his fifth voyage his story - After I had thrown him from my shoulder, I scarcely believed that I had liberated myself from him. Then fearing from him, I brought a heavy stone and struck him on his head and killed him. May no mercy of God be on him.

I came back to my old place on the sea shore and remained there for a length of time waiting for some vessel to pass by. One day as I was sitting and thinking about the past events, I said to myself, "What will happen if I do not return to my country, and meet my family, my companions etc.," and Lo, I saw a ship coming towards the island and then anchored at that island. The passengers landed there and I ran to them. As they saw me they asked about my state and cause of coming to that island. I told them my story and they wondered at me. Then they told that the man rode on my shoulders was the Old Man of the Sea, and no one ever carried him on his back and escaped from him except me. Then they brought me some food, took me on the ship, gave me some clothing, and took me with them on their ship.

Then we came to the city of Apes; lofty buildings and its all houses overlooked the sea. When the night came, its people people went out of their house and spent night upon the sea in the fear of the apes, lest they come down from the mountains. I landed on this island to amuse myself, and the ship sailed off without my knowledge and I repented of my landing on this island remembering my companions. I sat weeping and crying, that a man came to me and said to me - "It seems, you are a stranger to this place." And I said, "Yes." He said - "Arise, and come with us, embark on the boat, for if you remained on the island in the night, the apes will destroy you." I obeyed him, so I went with him on his boat. They took the boat in the sea for about a mile. We passed the night there, came back in the morning and started their work. This was their life. The apes came in the night and went back in the morning on the mountain. And this city was in the farthest part of the country of the blacks.

Among the most wonderful events that happened to me on this island, that a person with whom I passed the night, said to me - "O My Master, You are a stranger to this country, are you skilled in any art with which you can make your living?" I said - "No, By Allaah, my brother. I am a merchant and I do not know how to make anything. I had a ship of my own which wrecked in the sea. I found a plank of the ship and escaped from the drowning." Upon this the man rose and brought me a cotton bag and said to me - "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from this city and go forth with a party of the inhabitants. I will introduce you to them and you also do what they do. Perhaps by this means you will be able to go back to your country."

So the man took me to the city, and I picked up small pebbles and filled my bag with them. A party of men came from the city, so he gave my charge to them telling them to teach me the mode of gathering, so that I can gain some means of subsistence and obtain a reward." So they also gathered the pebbles and took me along with them. We came to a wide valley where there were many lofty trees which nobody could climb upon. There were so many apes also, when they saw us, they fled from us and ascended the trees. The men started hitting them with those pebbles they had collected, upon which the apes began to pluck the fruits of the trees and throwing them down. Those fruits were cocoa nuts.

So I also chose a tree and started hitting those stones to apes sitting on it. They plucked the nuts and threw them to me. I continued this till the stones in my bag had exhausted and I had collected a lot of nuts. Each of us carried as many nuts as he could. When I returned I gave all those nuts to the man who gave this advice, but he refused to take them and said - "Go and sell them and make use of its price." Then he gave me a key of a place in his house and said - "You may put your nuts which remain from selling. And go to that spot everyday with others, collect them, separate the bad ones and sell the good ones and make use of its proceeds. Perhaps this money may help you going back to your country." I said to him - "God will give you reward of this kindness to me."

I did as he told me. I collected a large quantity of these nuts, and so increased my wealth too. I bought whatever pleased me. I passed my days like this for a length of time. Once I was standing by the seaside, I saw a vessel coming towards the island and it cast its anchor by the shore. The merchants in there exchanged their goods with cocoa nuts. I went to my companion and informed about the coming of the ship, and he asked me if I wanted to go with it and I said, "Yes." "Well, It is you who have to decide." I bade him farewell, thanked him for his kindness and embarked the ship."

On the 559th Night

"They sailed the ship same day. I sold my nuts on other islands also. We passed an island where there were cinnamon and pepper; and some people told me that they had seen, upon every bunch of pepper, there was a large leaf shading it to protect it from the sun and the rain. And when the rain ceases to fall upon it, the leaf turns over the bunch and hangs down by its side. I took a large quantity of cinnamon and pepper from that island in exchange of cocoa nuts. We passed also by the Island  of Al-Esarat where there was Kamaaree aloes-wood, then we came to another island where was Chinese Aloes-wood at the distance of five days of journey. Here the people do not know praying so they do not pray. Then we came to the pearl-fisheries where I gave the cocoa nuts to the divers to dive for me, and bring a large number of valuable pearls.

Then we came back to Basaraa. I stayed there for some time and then came back to my home in Bagadaad. I met my family and companions, and saluted them; and they congratulated on my safe return. I gave clothes to orphans, bestowed alms to widows, and gave gifts to my family, friends and relations. God gave me more than I had before. I forgot my sufferings because of the gains and profits. I spent some days enjoying that wealth. This was the account of my fifth journey. Now tomorrow I will tell you the account of my sixth journey."

After that they all had food and drink, Sindbaad of the Sea gave 100 Deenaars to Hammaal and Hammaal came back to is home from there. Next morning he again went to Sindbaad of the Sea to listen to his sixth voyage. Sindbaad welcomed him and when others had arrived there, they all had food and drink. After that Sindbaad started telling the account of his sixth voyage thus ..."

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