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 elephant
dieth 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

• remarkable [ri´mɑ:kəbl] a.值得注意的；显著的 (初中英语单词)
• elephant [´elifənt] n.象 (初中英语单词)
• seacoast [´si:kəust] n.海滨 (初中英语单词)
• therewith [ðɛə´wið] ad.于是，随即 (初中英语单词)
• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)
• valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
• everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)
• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)
• likeness [´laiknis] n.相似；肖像；外表 (高中英语单词)
• porter [´pɔ:tə] n.守门人；勤杂工人 (高中英语单词)
• withal [wi´ðɔ:l] ad.加之；同样；然而 (英语四级单词)
• befallen [bi´fɔ:lən] befall的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
• befell [bi´fel] befall的过去式 (英语四级单词)
• hearken [´hɑ:kən] vi.听 (英语四级单词)
• wondrous [´wʌndrəs] a.极好的 ad.惊人地 (英语四级单词)
• solace [´sɔləs] n.&vt.安慰(物)；缓和 (英语六级单词)
• seaman [´si:mən] n.海员，水手 (英语六级单词)