SINDBAD'S FIFTH VOYAGE

I sat down upon the grass to recover myself from my fatigue, after which I went into the island to explore it. It seemed to be a delicious garden. I found trees everywhere, some of them 5 bearing green and others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh, pure water. I ate of the fruits, which I found excellent, and drank the water, which was very clear and good.

When I was a little advanced into the island, 10 I saw an old man who appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on 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 slightly bowed his 15 head. I asked him why he sat so still, but instead of answering me, he made a sign for me to take him upon my back and carry him over the brook.

Believing him to be really in need of my assist20 ance, I took him upon my back. Having carried him over, I bade him get down, and stooped over

that he might get off with ease. But instead of doing so (I laugh every time I think of it), the old man, who to me appeared to be quite

decrepit, threw his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat astride upon my shoulders, and held my 5 throat so tight that I thought he would have strangled me, and I fainted away.

Notwithstanding my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow still kept his seat upon my neck. When I had recovered my breath, he thrust one 10

of his feet against my side, and struck me so rudely with the other that he forced me to rise against my will. will. When I had arisen, he made me carry him under the trees, and forced me now and 5 then to stop that he might gather and eat fruit. He never left his seat all day; and when I lay down to rest at night, he laid himself down with me, still holding fast about my neck. neck. Every morning he pinched me to make me awake, and 10 afterwards obliged me to get up and walk, and spurred me with his feet.

One day I found several dry calabashes that had fallen from a tree. I took a large one, and, after cleaning it, pressed into it some juice of 15 grapes, which abounded in the island; having filled the calabash, I put it in a convenient place, and going thither again some days after, I tasted it and found the wine so good that it gave me new vigor, and so exhilarated my spirits that I 20 began to sing and dance as I carried my burden.

The old man, perceiving the effect which this had upon me, and that I carried him with more ease than before, made me a sign to give him

some of it. I handed him a calabash, and as the liquor pleased his palate, he drank it off. There being a considerable quantity of it, he soon began to sing, and to move about from side to side in his seat upon my shoulders, and by 5 degrees to loosen his legs from about me.

Finding that he did not press me as before, I threw him upon the ground, where he lay without motion; I then took up a great stone and slew him.

abounded (a bound'ed): were plenti-
ful

assistance (as sist'ns): help
calabash (kal'a bash): a sort of
gourd, hard and hollow
considerable (kon sid′er a bl)
decrepit (de krep'it): feeble from

old age

delicious (de lish'us): pleasing to the taste

excellent (ex'sel nt): very fine

From the Arabian Nights.

exhilarate (egz il'a rat): to cheer, to
enliven

explore (eks plōr'): to look over a
new or strange region
fatigue (fa tēg'): weariness
infirm (in fẽrm'): feeble
island (i'lnd)

obliged (ō blijd'): compelled

palate (păl'āt): taste

quantity (kwon'ti ty): amount

saluted (sa lut'ed): greeted, spoke to

HELPS TO STUDY

1. What did the old man at first seem to be? 2. What did he get Sindbad to do? 3. How did he keep him in real slavery? 4. How did Sindbad get rid of him at last?

You may have heard some burden or trouble that was hard to get rid of called "an old man of the sea." Now you know what the expression means and where it comes from.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

It was natural that Robert Louis Stevenson should write about travel, for he was a traveler nearly all his life. As a child he took imaginary journeys in his home at Edinburgh. He had all 5 sorts of adventures while he lay in bed or played about the garden. He was often ill, and not strong enough to play rough games. When he

felt lonely he used to say to himself:

"The world is so great and I am so small,

10 I do not like it at all, at all."

15

But after a while he changed this saying into another, which you know :

"The world is so full of a number of things,

I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."

Next to his father and mother Stevenson loved

his nurse. She often danced and sang to amuse him, and she read poetry so wonderfully that he learned to care for beautiful words as if they were beautiful toys.