it is a huge brute, bigger of body than the camel, and like it feedeth
upon the leaves and twigs of trees. It is a
remarkable animal with a
great and thick horn, ten cubits long, a-middleward its head,
wherein, when cleft in twain, is the
likeness of a man. Voyagers and
pilgrims and travelers declare that this beast called karkadan will
carry off a great
elephant on its horn and graze about the island
and the
seacoasttherewith and take no heed of it till the
elephantdieth and its fat, melting in the sun, runneth down into the
rhinoceros's eyes and blindeth him, so that he lieth down on the
shore. Then comes the bird roc and carrieth off both the rhinoceros
and that which is on its horn, to feed its young
withal. Moreover, I
saw in this island many kinds of oxen and buffaloes, whose like are
not found in our country.
Here I sold some of the diamonds which I had by me for gold dinars
and silver dirhams and bartered others for the produce of the country,
and loading them upon beasts of burden, fared on with the merchants
from
valley to
valley and town to town, buying and selling and viewing
foreign countries and the works and creatures of Allah till we came to
Bassorah city, where we abode a few days, after which I continued my
journey to Baghdad. I arrived at home with great store of diamonds and
money and goods, and forgathered with my friends and relations and
gave alms and largess and bestowed curious gifts and made presents
to all my friends and companions. Then I betook myself to eating
well and drinking well and wearing fine clothes and making merry
with my fellows, and forgot all my sufferings in the pleasures of
return to the
solace and delight of life, with light heart and
broadened breast. And
everyone who heard of my return came and
questioned me of my adventures and of foreign countries, and I related
to them all that had
befallen me, and the much I had suffered, whereat
they wondered and gave me joy of my safe return.
This, then, is the end of the story of my second
voyage, and
tomorrow, Inshallah! I will tell you what
befell me in my third
voyage.
The company marveled at his story and supped with him, after which
he ordered a hundred dinars of gold to be given to the
porter, who
took the sum with many thanks and blessings (which he stinted not even
when he reached home) and went his way, wondering at what he had
heard. Next morning as soon as day came in its sheen and shone, he
rose and, praying the dawn prayer, repaired to the house of Sindbad
the Seaman, even as he had bidden him, and went in and gave him good
morrow. The merchant welcomed him and made him sit with him till the
rest of the company arrived, and when they had well eaten and
drunken and were merry with joy and jollity, their host began by
saying: Hearken, O my brothers, to what I am about to tell you, for it
is even more
wondrous than what you have already heard. But Allah
alone kenneth what things His Omniscience concealed from man! And
listen to