Page:History of Sindbad the sailor.pdf/15

15 great stones, and running to the shore, entered the water up to the middle, and threw so exactly that they sunk all the floats but that I was upon, and all my comrades, except the two with me. were drowned. We rowed with all our might, and got out of the reach of the giants. Next morning we had the good luck to be thrown upon an island, where we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit there, that gave us great relief, so that we pretty well recovered our strength.

In the evening we fell asleep on the bank of the sea, but were awaked by the noise of a serpent as long as a palm tree, whose scales made a rustling as he crept along. He swallowed up one of my comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries, and the efforts he made to rid himself from the serpent; which, after shaking him several times against the ground, crushed him, and we could hear him gnaw the poor wretch’s bones, when we had fled at a great distance from him.

As we walked about, we saw a large tall tree upon which we designed to pass the following night for our security; and having satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it accordingly. A little while after, the serpent came hissing to the root of the tree, and raised itself up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade, who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off.

I staid upon the tree till it was day and then came down, more like a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate with my two companions. This filled me with horror, so that I was going to throw myself into the sea; but nature prompting us to a desire to live as long as we can, I withstood this temptation to despair, and submitted myself to the will of God, who disposes of our lives at his pleasure.