The merchants who landed with me broke the egg with hatchets, and made a hole in it, pulled out the young roc piecemeal, and roasted it. I had begged them in vain not to meddle with the egg.
Scarcely had they finished their repast, when there appeared in the air far off two great clouds. The captain of my ship, knowing by experience what they meant, said they were the male and female parents of the roc, and urged us to reëmbark with all speed.
The two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which they redoubled when they saw the egg broken and their young one gone. They flew back in the direction they had come, and were gone for some time, while we made all the sail we could, to try to prevent that which unhappily befell us.
They soon returned, and we saw that each of them carried in its talons a huge rock. When they came directly over my ship, they hovered, and one of them let go his rock; but by the quickness of the steersman it missed us, and fell into the sea. The other so exactly hit the middle of the ship as to split it into pieces. The seamen and merchants were all crushed to death or fell into the sea. I myself was of the number of the latter; but, as I came up again, I fortunately caught hold of a piece of the wreck, and swimming, sometimes with one hand and sometimes with the other, but always holding fast to the plank, the wind and the tide favoring me, I came to an island, and got safely ashore.
I sat down upon the grass to rest, and then went into the island to explore it. It seemed to be a delicious garden. Everywhere I found fruit and streams of fresh, pure water. Of these I ate and drank.
When I had gone a little way into the island, I saw an old man who appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a stream, and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like myself. I went towards him and saluted him, but he only slightly bowed his head. I asked him why he sat so still, but, instead of answering me, he made a sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over the brook.
I believed him really to stand in need of my help, took him upon my back, and, having carried him over, bade him get down. To that end, I stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of doing so—and I laugh every time I think of it—the old man, who to me appeared quite feeble, threw his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat astride upon my shoulders, and held my throat so tight that I thought he would have strangled me, and I fainted away.
In spite of my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow still kept his seat upon my neck. When I got my breath again, he thrust one of his feet against my side, and struck me so rudely with the other, that he forced me to rise up against my will. Then he made me carry him under the trees, and obliged me now and then to stop, that he might gather and eat fruit. He never left his seat all day; and when I lay down to rest at night, he laid himself down with me, holding still fast about my neck. Every morning he pinched me to make me awake, and afterwards forced me to get up and walk, and spurred me with his feet.