Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/242

212 plight for fear and distress and hunger and thirst, whilst the winds and the waters sported with me, and the waves carried me up and down.

Then I reproached myself for my folly in quitting my hardly earned repose to follow new ventures and said to myself, “O Sindbad, every time [thou undertakest a voyage,] thou sufferest hardships and weariness; yet wilt thou not renounce sea-travel; or, an thou say, ‘I renounce,’ thou liest in thy renouncement. Endure then [with patience] that which thou sufferest, for indeed thou deservest all that betideth thee. Verily, all this is decreed to me of God the Most High, to turn me from my covetousness, whence arises all that I endure, for I have wealth galore.” Then I returned to my senses and said, “Verily, this time I repent to God the Most High, with a sincere repentance, of my lust for gain and venture and will never again name travel with my tongue nor in my thought.” And I ceased not to humble myself to God the Most High and weep and bewail myself, recalling my former state of happiness and cheer, and thus I abode two days, at the end of which time I came to a great island, abounding in trees and streams.

I landed and ate of the fruits of the island and drank of its waters, till I was refreshed and restored and my strength returned to me. Then I walked about till I came to a great river of sweet water, running with a strong current; whereupon I called to mind the raft I had made aforetime and said to myself, “Needs must I make me another raft [and commit myself to the current;] haply I may win out of this strait. If I escape I have my desire and I vow to God the Most High to foreswear travel; and if I perish, I shall be at peace from toil and misery.”

So I gathered together great store of pieces of wood from the trees, (which were all of the finest sandal-wood, though I knew it not,) and made shift to twist grasses and