1. Sinbad the Sailor (First Voyage)
Long ago, in the city of Baghdad, there lived a merchant named Sindbad. He had many goods and much wealth, and his ships sailed across all the seas. The captains of his ships, upon returning from their voyages, would tell Sindbad wondrous tales of their adventures and the distant lands they had visited.Sindbad listened to their stories, and his desire grew stronger and stronger to see with his own eyes the marvels and curiosities of foreign lands.
And so, he decided to embark on a long journey.
He bought many goods, chose the fastest and sturdiest ship, and set sail. Other merchants accompanied him, bringing their own goods.
Their ship sailed for a long time, from sea to sea and from shore to shore, and whenever they landed, they would sell and trade their goods.
One day, after many days and nights without sighting land, a sailor atop the mast shouted:
"Land! Land!"
The captain steered the ship toward the shore and dropped anchor near a large green island. There grew marvelous, unseen flowers, and on the branches of shady trees, colorful birds sang.
The travelers disembarked to rest from the rocking of the ship. Some of them lit a fire and began to cook food, others washed clothes in wooden tubs, and some strolled around the island. Sindbad also went for a walk and, without noticing, wandered far from the shore. Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble, and he heard the captain's loud cry:
"Save yourselves! Run to the ship! This is not an island—it's a giant fish!"
Indeed, it was a fish. Sand had covered it, trees had grown on its back, and it had come to resemble an island. But when the travelers lit a fire, the fish grew hot and began to stir.
"Quickly! Quickly!" shouted the captain. "It will dive to the bottom any moment now!"
The merchants abandoned their pots and tubs and, in terror, rushed back to the ship. But only those who were closest to the shore managed to reach it. The fish-island sank into the depths of the sea, and all who were left behind drowned. Roaring waves closed over them.
Sindbad, too, failed to reach the ship in time. Waves crashed over him, but he was a strong swimmer and surfaced. A large tub, in which the merchants had just been washing clothes, floated past him. Sindbad climbed onto the tub and tried to paddle with his legs. But the waves tossed the tub to and fro, and Sindbad could not steer it.
The ship's captain ordered the sails raised and sailed away from the spot without even glancing at the drowning man.
Sindbad watched the ship for a long time, and when it disappeared into the distance, he wept from grief and despair. Now he had no hope of rescue.
The waves battered the tub and tossed it back and forth all day and all night. By morning, Sindbad suddenly saw that he had been washed up against a high shore. He grabbed onto the branches of a tree that hung over the water and, mustering his last strength, climbed onto the shore. As soon as Sindbad felt solid ground beneath him, he collapsed onto the grass and lay as if dead for the entire day and night.
In the morning, he decided to search for food. He came to a large green meadow covered with colorful flowers and suddenly saw before him a horse more beautiful than any in the world. Its legs were bound, and it grazed on the meadow.
Sindbad stopped to admire the horse, and after a while, he saw a man in the distance running toward him, waving his arms and shouting. The man approached Sindbad and asked:
"Who are you? Where are you from, and how did you come to our land?"
"O master," replied Sindbad, "I am a foreigner. I was sailing on a ship across the sea when my ship sank, and I managed to cling to a tub in which clothes were washed. The waves carried me across the sea until they brought me to your shores. Tell me, whose horse is this, so beautiful, and why does it graze here alone?"
"Know," replied the man, "that I am the groom of King al-Mihrjan. There are many of us, and each of us tends to only one horse. In the evening, we bring them to graze on this meadow, and in the morning, we take them back to the stables. Our king is very fond of foreigners. Come with me—he will welcome you kindly and show you favor."
"Thank you, master, for your kindness," said Sindbad.
The groom placed a silver bridle on the horse, removed its bindings, and led it to the city. Sindbad followed the groom.
Soon they arrived at the palace, and Sindbad was brought into a hall where King al-Mihrjan sat upon a high throne. The king received Sindbad warmly and began to question him, and Sindbad told him everything that had happened. Al-Mihrjan showed him favor and appointed him harbor master.
From morning till evening, Sindbad stood at the harbor, recording the ships that came and went. He lived in the land of King al-Mihrjan for a long time, and whenever a ship arrived at the harbor, Sindbad would ask the merchants and sailors which direction led to the city of Baghdad. But none of them had heard of Baghdad, and Sindbad almost lost hope of ever seeing his homeland again.
King al-Mihrjan grew very fond of Sindbad and made him a close confidant. He often spoke with him about his homeland and, when traveling through his domains, always took Sindbad with him.
Sindbad saw many wonders and curiosities in the land of King al-Mihrjan, but he never forgot his homeland and thought only of how to return to Baghdad.
One day, as usual, Sindbad stood on the shore of the sea, sad and melancholy. At that moment, a large ship approached the harbor, carrying many merchants and sailors. All the townspeople ran to the shore to greet the ship. The sailors began unloading the goods, and Sindbad stood by, recording them. In the evening, Sindbad asked the captain:
"How much cargo is left on your ship?"
"There are still a few bales in the hold," replied the captain, "but their owner drowned. We wish to sell these goods and take the money to his family in Baghdad."
"What is the name of the owner of these goods?" asked Sindbad.
"His name is Sindbad," replied the captain. Upon hearing this, Sindbad cried out loudly and said:
"I am Sindbad! I left your ship when it anchored at the fish-island, and you sailed away, leaving me to drown in the sea. These goods are my goods!"
"You seek to deceive me!" shouted the captain. "I told you that there are goods on my ship whose owner drowned, and you wish to claim them for yourself! We saw Sindbad drown, and many merchants drowned with him. How can you say these goods are yours? You have neither honor nor conscience!"
"Hear me, and you will know that I speak the truth," said Sindbad. "Do you not remember how I hired your ship in Basra, and how the scribe named Suleiman the Long-Eared introduced me to you?"
And he told the captain everything that had happened on his ship since the day they all sailed from Basra. Then the captain and the merchants recognized Sindbad and rejoiced that he had survived. They returned his goods to him, and Sindbad sold them at a great profit. He bid farewell to King al-Mihrjan, loaded other goods onto the ship—goods not found in Baghdad—and sailed to Basra.
For many days and nights, his ship sailed, and at last, it dropped anchor in the harbor of Basra. From there, Sindbad traveled to the City of Peace, as the Arabs called Baghdad in those days.
In Baghdad, Sindbad distributed some of his goods to friends and acquaintances and sold the rest.
He had endured so many hardships and misfortunes on his journey that he resolved never to leave Baghdad again.
And so ended the first voyage of Sindbad the Sailor.
More fairy tales
- The Insight of the Bedouin
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
- 6. Sinbad the Sailor (The Sixth Voyage)
- The Tale of Dishonest Hob
- The Cat and the Mouse
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