HEALTH IN THE NAME OF THE SOVEREIGN GUIDE OF THE RIGHT ROAD, TO THE POWERFUL AND HAPPY SULTAN, FROM THE PART OF ABDALLA HAROUN ALRASCHID, WHOM GOD HAS PLACED ON THE SEAT OF HONOUR, AFTER HIS ANCESTORS OF HAPPY MEMORY.
“We have received your letter with joy; and we send you this, emanated from the council of our porte, the garden of superior minds. We hope, that in casting your eyes over it, you will perceive our good intention, and think it agreeable. Adieu.”
The king of Serendid was rejoiced to find, that the caliph returned a testimony of his friendship. Soon after this audience, I requested another, to take my leave, which I had some difficulty to obtain. At length I succeeded, and the king, at my departure, ordered me a very handsome present. I re-embarked immediately, intending to return to Bagdad; but had not the good fortune to arrive so soon as I expected, for God had disposed of it otherwise.
Three or four days after we had set sail, we were attacked by corsairs, who easily made themselves masters of our vessel, as we were not in a state for defence. Some persons in the ship attempted to make resistance, but it cost them their lives. I, and all those who had the prudence not to oppose the intention of the corsairs, were made slaves. After they had stripped us, and substituted bad clothes for our own, they bent their course towards a large island at a very great distance, where they sold us.
I was purchased by a rich merchant, who conducted me to his house, gave me food to eat, and clothed me as a slave. Some days after, as he was not well informed who I was, he asked me, if I knew any trade. I replied that I was not an artisan, but a merchant by profession, and that the corsairs, who had sold me, had taken from me all I was possessed of. “But tell me,” said he, “do you think you could shoot with a bow and arrow?” I replied, that it had been one of my youthful sports, and that I had not entirely forgotten how to use it. He then gave me a bow and some arrows, and making me mount behind him on an elephant, he took me to a vast forest at the distance of some hours journey from the city. We went a great way in it, and when he came to a spot where he wished to stop, he made me alight. Then showing me a large tree, “Get up in that tree,” said he, “and shoot at the elephants that pass under it, for there is a prodigious quantity in this forest: if one should fall, come and acquaint me of it.” Having said this he left me some provisions, and returned to the city: I remained in the tree on the watch the whole night.
I did not perceive any during that time, but the next day, as soon as the sun had arisen, a great number made their appearance. I shot many arrows at them, and at last one fell. The others immediately retired, and left me at liberty to go and inform my master of the success I had met with. To reward me for this good intelligence, he regaled me with an excellent repast, and praised my address. We then returned together to the forest, where we dug a pit to bury the elephant I had killed. It was my master’s intention to let it rot in the earth, and then to take possession of its teeth for commerce.
I continued this occupation for two months, and not a day passed in which I did not kill an elephant. I did not always place myself on the same tree; sometimes I ascended one, sometimes another. One morning, when I was waiting for some elephants to pass, I perceived, to my great astonishment, that instead of traversing the forest as usual, they stopped and came towards me with a terrible noise, and in such numbers, that the ground was covered with them, and trembled under their footsteps. They approached the tree where I was placed, and surrounded it with their trunks extended, having their eyes all fixed upon me. At this surprising spectacle I remained motionless, and so agitated by fright that my bow and arrows fell from my hands.
My fears were not groundless. After the elephants had viewed me for some time, one of the largest twisted his trunk round the body of the tree, and shook it with so much violence, that he tore it up by the roots, and threw it on the ground. I fell with the tree; but the animal took me up with his trunk, and placed me on his shoulders, where I remained more dead than alive. He put himself at the head of his companions, who followed him in a troop, and carried me to a spot where having set me down, he and the rest retired. Conceive my situation! I thought it a dream. At length having been seated some time, and seeing no other elephants, I arose, and perceived that I was on a little hill of some breadth, entirely covered with bones and teeth of elephants. This sight filled my mind with a variety of reflections. I admired the instinct of these animals, and did not doubt, that this was their cemetery or place of burial; and that they had brought me hither to show it me, that I might desist from destroying them, as I did it merely for the sake of possessing their teeth. I did not stay long on the hill, but turned my steps towards the city, and having walked a day and a night, at last arrived at my master’s. I did not meet any elephant in my way, which plainly evinced, that they had entered farther into the forest, to leave me an unobstructed passage from the hill.
As soon as my master saw me, “Ah! poor Sindbad,” exclaimed he, “I was in pain to know what could be become of you. I have been to the forest, and found a tree newly torn up by the roots, and a bow and arrows on the ground; after having sought you every where in vain, I despaired of ever seeing you again. Pray relate to me what has happened to you, and by what happy chance you are still alive.” I satisfied his curiosity, and the following day, having accompanied me to the hill, he was, with great joy, convinced of the truth of my history. We loaded the elephant on which we had come with as many teeth as he could carry, and when we returned, he thus addressed me, “Brother, for I will no longer treat you as a slave, after the discovery you have imparted to me, and which cannot fail to enrich me, may God pour on you all sorts of blessings and prosperity! Before him I give you your liberty. I had concealed from you what I am now going to relate. The elephants of our forest destroy annually an infinite number of slaves, whom we send in search of ivory. Whatever advice we give them, they are sure, sooner or later, to lose their lives by the wiles of these animals. God has delivered you from their fury, and has conferred this mercy on you alone. It is a sign that he cherishes you, and that he wants you in the world to be of use to mankind. You have procured me a surprising advantage: we have not hitherto been able to get ivory without risking the lives of our slaves, and now our whole city will be enriched by your means. Do not suppose, that I think I have sufficiently recompensed you, by giving you your liberty; I intend to add to it considerable presents; I might engage the whole city to join, and make your fortune, but that is an honour I will enjoy alone.”
To this obliging discourse I replied, “Master, God preserve you; the liberty you grant me, acquits you of all obligation towards me; and the only recompense I desire for the service I have had the good fortune to procure for you, and the inhabitants of your city, is permission to return to my country.”—“Well,” resumed he, “the monsoon will soon bring us vessels, which come to be laden with ivory. I will then send you away, with a sufficiency to pay your expences home.” I again thanked him for the liberty he had given me, and for the good will he showed me. I remained with him till the season for the monsoon, during which we made frequent excursions to the hill, and filled his magazines with ivory. All the other merchants in the city did the same, for it did not long remain a secret.