Know, O my brother, that I was living a most comfortable and enjoyable life, in all solace and delight, as I told you yesterday.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty third night

But then I fell to weeping and wailing, giving myself over to rage. I blamed myself bitterly for having ventured again upon the perils and hardships of the sea, when I had been at ease in my own house in my own land, taking pleasure in good meat and good drink and fine clothes, lacking nothing—neither money nor goods. I repented deeply of having left Baghdad, and all the more after all the trials and dangers I had undergone in my first voyage, from which I had so narrowly escaped destruction. I cried out, "Truly, we are Allah's and unto Him we are returning!" I was mad, as if struck by a Jinn, and presently I rose and walked about the island in all directions, unable in my distress to sit or stay in any one place. Then I climbed a tall tree and looked all around, but saw nothing but sky and sea and trees and birds and islands and sands. However, after a while my eager eyes fell upon something great and white, far off in the interior of the island. I came down from the tree and made for it, and behold, it was a huge white dome rising high into the air, of vast extent. I walked all around it but found no door, nor could I get any purchase on its smooth and slippery surface to climb it.

I marked the spot where I stood and walked around the dome to measure its circumference, which I found to be about fifty paces across. As I stood there, trying to figure out how to gain entrance—the day was failing and the sun nearing the horizon—behold, the sun was suddenly hidden from me and the air grew dull and dark. I thought a cloud had come over the sun, but it was the height of summer, so I marvelled at this. I lifted my head and looked steadily at the sky, and then I saw that the cloud was no cloud at all, but an enormous bird of gigantic size and inordinately wide wings which, as it flew through the air, blocked the sun and hid it from the island. At this sight my wonder doubled, and I remembered a story I had heard.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty fourth night

Perhaps this bird might carry me to a land of cities and people, and that would be better than staying on this desert island." I passed the night watching and afraid to sleep, lest the bird should fly away with me unaware. As soon as dawn broke and morning shone, the Rukh rose off its egg and, spreading its wings with a great cry, flew up into the air, dragging me with it. It did not stop soaring and climbing until I thought it had reached the very limit of the sky. Then, little by little, it descended earthward until it alighted on the top of a high hill. As soon as I found myself on solid ground, I made haste to untie myself, trembling with fear of the bird—though it paid no heed to me and did not even notice me. I loosened my turban from its feet and made off as fast as I could. Presently, I saw the bird snatch something from the earth in its talons and rise high into the air. Looking closely, I saw it was a serpent, huge and monstrous, which the bird carried away and disappeared from sight. I marvelled at this and walked forward until I found myself on a peak overlooking a valley—vast and wide and deep, bounded by enormous mountains that rose so high into the air that no one could see their summits, nor could anyone climb so high. When I saw this, I blamed myself for what I had done and said, "Would to Heaven I had stayed on that island! It was better than this wild desert!

At least there I had fruits to eat and water to drink, and here there are no trees, no fruits, no streams. But there is no might and no strength save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Truly, as often as I escape one peril, I fall into a worse danger and more terrible suffering." However, I took heart and walked along the valley, finding that its soil was diamond—the stone they use to cut minerals and precious stones and porcelain and onyx, for it is a hard stone and durable, on which neither iron nor stone has any effect. You cannot cut or break it except by means of the loadstone. Moreover, the valley swarmed with snakes and vipers, each as big as a palm tree, that would have swallowed an elephant in a single gulp. They came out by night and hid during the day, for fear the Rukh birds and eagles would swoop down and tear them to pieces—their natural prey. And I repented bitterly of what I had done and said, "By God, I have hastened to bring destruction upon myself!" The day began to wane as I walked along, and I looked about for a place to shelter for the night, being afraid of the serpents. I had no thought for food or drink in my concern for my life. Presently, I caught sight of a cave nearby with a narrow entrance. I went in, and seeing a great stone near the mouth, I rolled it up and blocked the entrance, saying to myself, "I am safe here for the night.

As soon as it is day, I will go forth and see what destiny will bring." Then I looked deeper into the cave and saw at the far end a great serpent brooding on her eggs. My flesh trembled and my hair stood on end. But I raised my eyes to Heaven and, committing my fate to God, I remained awake all that night until daybreak, when I rolled back the stone from the mouth of the cave and made my way out, staggering like a drunk man, dizzy from lack of sleep, fear, and hunger. As I walked along the valley in this terrible state, behold, there fell down before me a slaughtered beast. But I saw no one, which amazed me greatly. Presently, I remembered a story I had heard long ago from merchants and pilgrims and travellers—how the mountains where the diamonds lie are full of perils and terrors, and no one can pass through them. But the merchants who trade in diamonds have a clever method by which to obtain them. They take a sheep and slaughter it and skin it and cut it into pieces, then cast the pieces down from the mountain tops into the valley below. As the meat is fresh and sticky with blood, some of the diamonds stick to it. They leave it there until midday, when the eagles and vultures swoop down and carry it in their claws to the mountain peaks. Then the merchants come and shout and frighten the birds away from the meat. Afterward they come and collect the diamonds that stick to the meat, and go their ways with their treasures, leaving the flesh to the birds and beasts. There is no way to get the diamonds except by this device.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty fifth night

And he lamented and beat his hands together, saying, "Alas, what is this? How can it be?" Then I went up to him and he said to me, "Who are you and what brings you to this place?" I said, "Do not fear. I am a man, and a good man, and a merchant. My story is wondrous and my adventures are marvellous, and the manner of my coming here is extraordinary. Be of good cheer, for you will receive from me what shall bring you joy. I have with me great plenty of diamonds, and I will give you what shall suffice you—each one is better than anything you could get otherwise. So fear nothing." The man rejoiced at this and thanked and blessed me. Then we talked together until the other merchants, hearing me speak with their fellow, came up and greeted me. Each of them had thrown down their piece of meat. As I went off with them, I told them my whole story—how I had suffered hardships at sea and how I came to reach the valley. But first I gave the man whose meat had brought me the diamonds a number of the finest stones I had, so they all wished me joy of my escape, saying, "By God, a new life has been granted to you, for none has ever reached that valley and come out alive before you! But praise be to Allah for your safety!"

We passed the night together in a safe and pleasant place, beyond measure rejoiced at my deliverance from the Valley of Serpents and my arrival in an inhabited land. On the morrow we set out and journeyed over the mighty range of mountains, seeing many serpents in the valley, until we came to a fair great island where there was a garden of huge camphor trees. Under each tree a hundred men could take shelter. When the people have a mind to harvest camphor, they bore into the upper part of the tree with a long iron rod. The liquid camphor, which is the tree's sap, flows out, and they catch it in vessels, where it hardens like gum. But after this, the tree dies and becomes firewood. Moreover, there is on this island a kind of wild beast called the "Rhinoceros." It grazes as our steers and buffaloes do, but it is a huge brute, bigger than the camel, and like the camel it feeds on the leaves and twigs of trees. It is a remarkable creature with a great and thick horn, ten cubits long, set in the middle of its head. And when this horn is split in two, the likeness of a man appears in it. Voyagers and pilgrims and travellers declare that this beast, called the "Karkadan," can carry off a great elephant on its horn and wander about the island and sea coast, paying it no heed, until the elephant dies and its fat, melting in the sun, runs down into the rhinoceros's eyes and blinds him, so that he lies down on the shore.

Then the bird Rukh comes and carries off both the rhinoceros and the elephant on its horn to feed its young. Moreover, I saw on this island many kinds of oxen and buffaloes, whose like are not found in our country. Here I sold some of the diamonds I had for gold dinars and silver dirhams, and bartered others for the produce of the country. Loading them on beasts of burden, I travelled 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, until we came to the city of Bassorah, where we stayed a few days. After that I continued my journey to Baghdad.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty sixth night

The company marvelled at his story and supped with him. After that, he ordered an hundred dinars of gold to be given to the Porter, who took the sum with many thanks and blessings—which he did not stop uttering even when he reached home—and went his way, wondering at all he had heard. Next morning, as soon as day came with its light and shone bright, he rose and prayed the dawn prayer, then went to the house of Sindbad the Seaman, as he had been bidden. He went in and gave Sindbad good morning. The merchant welcomed him and made him sit with him until the rest of the company arrived. When they had eaten well and drunk their fill and were merry with joy and happiness, 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 only Allah knows what mysteries His Omniscience has hidden from mankind! And listen to