Page:History of Sindbad the sailor.pdf/25

25 their talens, stones, or rather rocks of monstrous size. When they came directly over my ship, they hovered, and one of them let fall a stone exactly upon the middle of the ship, that it split in a thousand pieces. The mariners and passengers were all killed by the stone or sunk. I myself had the last fate; but as I came up again I catched hold, by good fortune, of a piece of the wreck, and swimming sometimes with one hand, and sometime with the other, but always holding fast my board, the wind and tide being for me, I came to an island whose bank was very steep, I overcame that difficulty, however, and got ashore.

When I was a little advanced into the island I saw an old man, who seemed to me very weak and feeble. He sat upon the bank of a stream, and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like myself. I went towards him. and saluted him; but he only bowed his head a little. I asked him what he did there, but instead of answering me, he made a sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over the brook, signifying that it was to gather fruit.

I believed him really to stand in need of my help, so took him upon my back, and having carried him over, bid him get down. and for that end I stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of that (which makes me laugh at every time I think on't) the old man, who to me appeared very decrepid, clasped his legs nimbly about my neck, and then I perceived his skin to resemble that of a cow. He sat astride upon my shoulders, and held my throat so strait, that I thought he would have strangled me, the fright of which made me faint away and fall down.

Notwithstanding my fainting, the illnatured old fellow kept fast about my neck, but opened his legs a little to give me time to recover my breath. When