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After completing on my sixth voyage, I
quietly decided
that I would go to none of the sea any more.
Now I was of an
age to live a quiet life and I had
almost run a lot of
risks which was much enough. I only wished to end my days
quietly. One day, however, when I was
talking with a number of my friends, I was told that an
officer of the Caliph wants to speak to me, and
when he was permitted he told me to follow him into
the presence of Haroun al Raschid, which I
accordingly did. After I had saluted him, the
Caliph said:
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"I have sent for you, Sinbad, because I need
your help. I have chosen you to parcel a
letter and a gift to the King of Serendib in
return for his message of friendship."
The order that Caliph gave me, fell upon me like a
thunderbolt.
"Commander of the Faithful," I answered, "I am
ready to do whatever your Majesty commands, but
I respectfully pray you to remember that I am
totally depressed by the unknown sufferings I have
gone through. Indeed, I have made a promise
to myself never again
to leave Baghdad."
With this I introduced him some of my long
description of some of
my strangest adventures, to which he listened
with a great patience.
"I agree to this," he said, "that you have
in fact had
some extraordinary experiences, but I am
unable to understand
why these things should stop you from doing
so, what I wish.
You just have to go straightly only to Serendib and
give my message to the king, then you are free to come back
and do as you want. But you must go; my honor
and dignity require it."
Seeing that there is no way to help for it, I declared
myself to obey him; and the Caliph,
happy at having got his own way, gave me a
thousand tinsels for the expenses of the voyage.
I was ready to start my adventure once again, and taking the letter
and the present I embarked at Balsora, and
sailed quickly and safely to Serendib. Here,
when I had finished my duty, I was well
received, and brought into the presence of the
king, who greeted me with joy.
"Welcome, Sinbad," he cried. "I have thought of
you over and over again, and was pleased to see you once more."
After thanking him for the credit he showed
towards me,
I gave the Caliph's gifts. First a bed with
complete hangings all cloth of gold, which cost
a thousand tinsels, and another like to it of
crimson stuff; fifty robes of rich embroidery, a
hundred of the finest white linen from Cairo,
Suez, Cufa, and Alexandria.
Then more beds of different fashion and a
vase carved with the figure of a man aiming an
arrow at a lion, and finally a costly table,
which had once belonged to King Solomon. The
King of Serendib received all the presents with
pleasure the
guaranteed of the Caliph's friendliness toward
him, and now my task being finished I was
worried to be off, but it was some time before
the king would think of letting me go. At last,
however, he allow me to go with many presents, and
I lost no time in going on board a ship, which
sailed at once, and for four days all went
very well.
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