I saw several others fall down from the rocks in

different places.

I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by 5 merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had stated nothing but the truth. For the fact is that the merchants come to the upper rim of this valley, when the eagles have young ones, and throw great joints of meat 10 into the valley; the diamonds, upon whose points they fall, stick to them; and the eagles, which are stronger in this country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of meat, and carry them to their nests on the 15 precipices of the rocks to feed their young. The merchants at this time run to their nests, disturb and drive off the eagles by their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.

I perceived in this device the means of my 20 deliverance.

Having collected together the largest diamonds I could find, and put them into the leather bag in

which I used to carry my provisions, I took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with the cloth of my turban, and then laid

myself upon

the ground, with my face down5 wards, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.

I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when one of the eagles, having taken me up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened, 10 carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain.

The merchants immediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me, but he at once recovered himself, and 5 instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel with me and asked why I stole his goods. "You will treat me," replied I, "with more civility, when you know me better. Do not be uneasy. I have diamonds enough for you and 10 myself, more, indeed, than all the other mer chants together. Whatever they have they owe to chance; but I selected for myself, in the bottom of the valley, those which you see in this bag."

I had scarcely done speaking, when the other 15 merchants came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but they were much more amazed when I told them my story.

They conducted me to their encampment, and when they opened my bag, they were surprised at 20 the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed that they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I prayed the merchant who owned the

nest to which I had been carried (for every merchant had his own), to take as many for his share as he pleased. He contented himself with one, and that, too, the least of them; and when I 5 pressed him to take more, without fear of doing me any injury, "No," said he, “I am very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough to save me the trouble of making any more voyages, and will bring me as great a fortune as I desire." I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the dangers I have narrated. I thought 15 myself in a dream, and could scarcely believe myself out of danger.

10

civility (si vil'i ty): politeness deliverance (de liv'er ans): safety,

rescue

device (dē vis'): design, plan diamond (di'a mund)

exclude (eks klūd'): shut out fabulous (fab'u lus): merely fanciful frighten (frit'n)

From the Arabian Nights.

inclination (in kli na'shun): wish jewels (jū'els): precious stones moderate (mod'er ât): keep down narrated (nar rāt′ed): told perfection (per fek'shun)

pounce (pouns): to jump upon precipices (pres'i pis es): steep rocks prey (pra): food seized by animals

repose (re pōz'): rest

satisfaction (sat'is fak'shun)

secured (se kūrd'): fastened

stratagems (străt'a jems): tricks

HELPS TO STUDY

I. 1. Where did Sindbad live? Tennyson has a fanciful poem about the splendors of Bagdad, called Recollections of the Arabian Nights. You might ask to have it read to you. 2. How did Sindbad get lost? 3. What does he tell about the roc's egg? 4. How did he get away from the island? 5. Where was he left? 6. What treasures and what danger did he find there?

II. 1. Describe Sindbad's adventure in the "valley of diamonds." 2. What preparation did he make for his escape? 3. How does the eagle aid in his escape? 4. Describe the meeting with the merchants. 5. With what good luck did he end this adventure?

The phrase "valley of diamonds" is often used to describe a fabulously rich place. Now you know what it means. In all your dreams of fortune, have you ever thought of any strange and marvelous ways of getting it?

Sindbad seems to have been a restless and busy fellow, as you may guess from what he said at the beginning of his story of his second voyage. In the original story he made seven voyages in all. In our next selection, his "Fifth Voyage," another strange thing happens to him in an uninhabited island, to which he has drifted, shipwrecked and alone.