The Seven Voyages of Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage

Not even all I had gone through could make me settle for quiet. Ease bored me; I wanted fresh risks and a change of scene. So I built and fitted out a ship of my own at the nearest seaport. I meant to call at whatever ports I chose, and since I would not carry a full cargo alone I invited merchants of several nations to join me. We sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long voyage landed on an unknown, empty island. Exploring, we found a roc’s egg nearly as large as the one I had seen before, and clearly almost ready to hatch. The merchants would not leave it alone; in spite of my warnings they broke into the shell with stones and axes. Out came a huge chick; they killed it and cut off great pieces of meat.

I fled back toward the ship. Almost at once the parent rocs appeared, vast as clouds, screaming with rage. They rose, then returned carrying stones as large as mountains in their claws and dropped them on us. The first smash broke the ship to pieces; most of those aboard drowned. I clung to driftwood with one hand and swam with the other until the tide washed me onto an island. Its shores were steep and rocky, but I scrambled up and fell on the green turf to rest.

When I recovered a little I found a garden of delights—trees heavy with flowers and fruit, a crystal stream under their shade. At night I slept in a cosy nook, though loneliness made me start awake wishing I had stayed home. Morning restored my courage. Deeper in the island I saw an old man, bent and feeble, sitting by the river. I took him for a castaway like myself, greeted him kindly, and got only a nod. By signs he showed he wished to cross and gather fruit, and begged to be carried on my back. Pitying his age, I took him up, waded over, and bent so he might slip down—but instead the creature leaped nimbly onto my shoulders, hooked his legs round my neck, and gripped until I nearly choked and fell senseless.

When I came to, he still sat there, though he had eased his hold enough to let me breathe. He prodded me with his heels until I staggered under the trees while he gathered and ate the choicest fruit. All day it went on; at night, when I threw myself down half dead, he clung tight, and at first light he drummed me awake to resume the march. Rage filled me, but I could not shake him off.

One day I passed a tree with dry gourds beneath it. I scooped one out, pressed in grape juice from the bushes, left the full gourd propped in a fork, and a few days later, carrying my burden that way, snatched it as we passed and drank. The wine was strong and refreshing; I forgot my load and began to sing and caper. The old monster saw I carried him more lightly, seized the gourd, tasted, then drained it. Soon his iron grip unclasped; with one effort I threw him to the ground, where he never moved again. I ran leaping to the shore and by great luck met mariners who had anchored for fruit and water.

They heard the story of my escape with amazement: I had fallen into the hands of the Old Man of the Sea, who strangles everyone he manages to perch upon; merchants and sailors who land on that island take care never to stray far from their comrades. They took me aboard; the captain received me kindly. After several days we reached a prosperous stone-built town. A friendly merchant showed me lodgings for strangers, gave me a large sack, and pointed out a party equipped the same way. “Go with them and do as they do,” he said, “but do not lose sight of them.”

I learned we were to fill our sacks with cocoanuts—yet the palms were immensely tall with slippery trunks. Their crowns swarmed with monkeys. My companions began throwing stones at them; annoyed, the monkeys tore nuts from the trees and hurled them back, so that with little labour our sacks filled. My friend bought my share and advised me to keep at it until I could pay my passage home. Before long I had a good sum. I shipped with a store of nuts; we sailed to the pepper islands and to Comari, where the best aloes wood grows and men drink no wine by law. There I traded nuts for pepper and aloes, fished for pearls with other merchants—my divers were lucky—and at last came joyfully back to Bagdad with treasures I sold for large sums. As before I set aside a tenth for the poor, then rested from my labours among whatever comforts my new fortune could buy.

When Sindbad had finished the story of his fifth voyage, he ordered that a hundred sequins be given to Hindbad the porter. The guests went home, and the next day, after the feast, he began the account of his sixth voyage.

Where this story comes from

Sindbad’s fifth voyage is taken from The Arabian Nights Entertainments, the 1898 selection edited by Andrew Lang, whose preface explains that it was translated from Galland’s French and shortened here and there. It belongs with the Nights rather than with Indian folklore.

Like the other voyages, Sindbad tells it in his own voice to Hindbad the porter. It brings back the roc, this time taking revenge for its broken egg, and introduces the Old Man of the Sea who climbs onto Sindbad’s shoulders and will not get down.

Read the original: Andrew Lang, The Arabian Nights Entertainments (Project Gutenberg #128, The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor: Fifth Voyage)

Suggested for ages 9–12 with an adult: includes animal killing, drowning, strangulation, alcohol and the captor’s death.

Three encounters, three kinds of power

The merchants provoke the rocs despite a warning; the Old Man exploits Sinbad’s offer of help; the nut gatherers deliberately provoke monkeys for profit. These episodes do not give every clever action the same moral value. Escaping a captor and harassing animals to collect goods solve different kinds of problem.

Sinbad’s restored fortune also depends on hospitality, trading partners and pearl divers. His final gift to the poor closes the voyage generously, but does not make all the means of gaining wealth equally admirable.

Compare the exchanges

For the rocs, the Old Man and the monkeys, note who starts the encounter, who benefits and who is harmed. Which event could have been prevented by listening? Discuss the harvesting scene without copying the stone throwing.

Talk about it

• What did the merchants do that made the rocs attack the ship?
• How did Sindbad finally free himself from the Old Man of the Sea?
• How did Sindbad use the monkeys to gather coconuts? How could the gathering be described from the monkeys’ point of view?

Related stories

• The Fourth Voyage of Sinbad: Escape from the Cannibals — Sindbad’s previous voyage, with cannibals and a terrible burial custom
• Sinbad the Sailor: The Second Voyage — Sindbad’s first meeting with the giant roc bird and its huge egg
• Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp — an Arabian Nights hero who finds great riches in a strange place