Sindbad decided to travel over land routes to a port in India and then sail from there. It was a very safe and useful journey and he and his friends traded well along the way. The ship sailed from an Indian port and kept going well, till a storm came up, carrying it off its course. The worried Captain looked at maps and the sea, for this dangerous sea could destroy them. The ship crashed into a mountain rising steeply out of the sea and broke! They lost everything but were glad to be alive! They found the wreckage of many ships and skeletons of dead sailors! None seemed to have left safely from here. Sindbad noticed that a river was flowing, not into the sea, but into an arch in the rocks. Following it, he reached a cavern inside the arch with walls and floor covered with diamonds and other precious stones.
Down the River
The food didn’t last for long, so the sailors began dying of starvation one after another. Sindbad thought he was going to die in any case and decided to make an attempt to find a way out. He made a raft and, with his small amount of food, sailed down the river, gathering up precious stones. The raft floated down the tunnel for many days, with Sindbad hardly eating anything. He slept for he was tired. He awoke to find the raft tied and men with dark faces chattering around him! He couldn’t understand them, but when he bowed and spoke in Arabic, one of them understood him. Sindbad asked for some food and they put him on a horse and took him and his raft to the King of the Indies in the city of Serendib. Sindbad introduced himself to the King politely and asked for food and shelter.
The King treated Sindbad with great courtesy, listening attentively to his story and seeing the raft too. He ordered that the story be written down in golden letters and displayed as part of the history of the kingdom. Sindbad was stunned when he saw the King’s treasury, for he had never seen such wealth! The King offered anything he wished to have, but Sindbad asked for nothing. Therefore, the King himself presented many costly gifts to Sindbad. It was a beautiful and fascinating kingdom, Sindbad saw, with days and nights of equal length. It had a beautiful valley on top of the highest mountain in the world. Precious gems were found everywhere as were rare plants and trees. The sea gave pearls and the valleys gave diamonds! The King rode on a royal, decorated elephant and he ensured that his people were treated in a fair and just manner.
When Sindbad wished to return home, the King gave him a special ship and many rich gifts. He sent a message for the Caliph of Baghdad with gifts for him too, including a ruby vase filled with pearls and a snake-skin that could protect and cure anyone who slept on it. Sindbad returned home in comfort, going first to the Caliph’s palace to present him the gifts sent by the King of the Indies. The Caliph was touched and impressed and heard all that Sindbad told him about the splendour of the King and his kingdom. He listened to the adventures Sindbad had and the great danger he had passed through. He, too, was very gracious and gave Sindbad many gifts. Sindbad came home rich and satisfied to his family and friends, who were happy to see him safely back and to hear of his adventures!
