First Voyage of Sinbad the

Sailor
(Sinbad and The Whale Island)
 Introduction

Long ago, in the city of Baghdad, there lived a man

named Sinbad the Hammal. He made his living by
lugging around heavy objects on his head. In short he
was a porter, as hard working as he was poor. One
exceedingly hot and dusty day, he was weary and
sweating, and not sure if the heat or his load was
causing him the most trouble. He straggered past the
entrance of a wealthy merchant’s house.
 Introduction

The sight of a bench by the gates was so tempting, that

he could not resist setting down his load, and sitting
down for a while. As he seated he felt a pleasant breeze
and heard the sound of a flute playing and light voices
full of laughter and song. He stood up and pushed the
gates open slightly. As he peaked through them, he saw
a garden full of flowers, and servants carrying all sorts
of rich and delicate meats.
 Introduction

The delicious aroma greeted his nostrils and filled him

with hunger. As he stood there he recited some lines:
“Each morn that dawns I awake in pain and woe..
I picked up my load and off to work I go..
While others lived in comfort and delight..
With pretty song, good food, and laughter light..
All living things were born in their birthday suit..
But some live like Lords and other like brutes..
 Introduction

At Thee, O God all wise! I dare not to rail..

Whose creation is just and whose justice cannot fail.”

When Sinbad the Porter had finished his verse, he

picked up his heavy crate and started to move off. Just
as he put one foot forward, there came form the gate a
little servant boy who tugged at his sleeve and said:
 Introduction

“Step inside, my Lord wishes to meet you.”

The Porter tried to make excuses, but the boy would
have non of them, and eventually they went through
the gate together. They walked went through the gate
together. They went through a majestic house to the
grand dining room which was full of Lords sitting at
tables laden with rich food and drink. The sound of
music and laughter and lovely slave girls playing and
singing filled the air.
 Introduction

The diners were seated according to rank, and at the

head of them all sat a man of worshipful and noble
appearance.
“What is your name? and what do you do all day?”
“O my lord, my name is Sinbad the Hammal, and I carry
folk’s goods on my head for hire.”

The master of the house smiled and said:

 Introduction

“You should know, oh porter, that you and I have something

in common – our name! For I am Sinbad the Sailor. Now if you
will be so kind, let me hear those verses that you recited
outside the gate of my house.”
The Porter duly recited the lines and the merchant slapped
his back affectionately and said “ No one ever spoke a truer
word. But you should know that I myself only rose to this
happy state that you see all around you after long suffering
and woe. I made seven voyages at sea, and by each of them
hangs a marvelous tale that is almost beyond belief.
 Introduction

If you have endured in my early days. All this happened

because of fate, for no one can escape destiny.”

And this is the tale of the first voyage od Sinbad the

Sailor.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

A wealthy merchant lived in baghdad, and

when he died, he left his wealth to his son,
whose name was Sinbad. Alas, Sinbad was
careless with his money, and before long, he
lost everything. All those who had pretended to
be Sinbad’s friends while he was rich
disappeared once the lad lost his fortune.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

Not knowing what to do or where to turn,

Sinbad thought he might try his fortune at sea,
and so, with his pockets empty, he travelled to
the port of Basra. There he boarded a merchant
ship, and within days, the new sailor was out at
sea, going from ocean
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

Like his father, Sinbad proved to be a

hardworking, fine sailor and a talented
merchant. He began to dream of making
his fortune at sea and leading a life of
leisure once he had returned to shore.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

But fate had something else in store for Sinbad.

One morning as the ship travelled across the
wide blue sea, the sailors spotted an island
Sinbad had never seen in any of his other
voyages. The men searched logs, but they could
find no record of this island anywhere.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

The closer they came, the more beautiful the

island seemed. Scents of the most magnificent
blooms wafted toward them, and as they came
near, they saw that the island was garlanded
with flowers.” We’ll anchor here,” the captain
cried. And the men lowered the anchor.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

The crew quickly rowed to shore, eager to see

this new world. When they stepped upon the
land, they found that the strange and
mysterious island was filled with the ripest,
most exotic fruits they’d ever seen. The men
agreed that it was strange to find no human
beings in such a rich land, but they soon forgot
this worry and began to pick and eat the fruit,
thrilled at their marvelous find.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

“We’ll spend the night,” they all agreed, and

Sinbad built a fire so that they all might stay
warm. As the sun began to move lower and
lower in the sky, the men gathered around the
fire. Sinbad threw more wood atop the heap,
and the flames danced high into the beautiful
summer sky. The men began to sing their
sailor’s songs.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

Suddenly, and without warning, the ground

beneath them heaved. The palm trees and the
fruit trees began to sway wildly, and all around
the shore the sea fumed and spouted and
sprayed. “Everyone back to the ship!” the
captain cried. “This is no island!”
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

“What?” the men cried in astonishment as they

tried to stand. The shuddering island tossed
them this way and that, sending them flying
into the air. “It’s a whale!’ Sinbad cried, for now
he saw the great creature rising, higher and
higher, and he knew that it had felt the heat of
their flame and was readying to dive below the
surface to cool it’s steaming back.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

A moment later the island began to sink

beneath the roiling waves. The sea whirled
around the whale, and the whirlpool sucked the
sailors down below the watery depths as the
whale dived deeper and deeper. Sailors cried
out for rescue, but alas, they were soon pulled
beneath the waves.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

Sinbad somehow managed to swim away from

the whirlpool’s mighty pull. Grasping for breath,
he swam with all his strength. Suddenly Sinbad
felt the edge of something hard against his
palm. He peered up above another crashing
wave and saw he had touched a barrel. He
gripped it as tightly as he could and, with all of
his remaining strength, pulled himself aboard.
There he managed to stay afloat.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

When once more the sea was calm, Sinbad

looked around and saw that everything was
gone. There was no ship, There were no sailors.
All had been sucked down to the bottom of the
deep, dark sea, and so, exhausted from his
struggle, Sinbad closed his eyes and fell asleep
aboard his barrel, rocking this way and that like
a child in a cradle.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

At dawn Sinbad awoke to find his barrel wedged

against a sandy shore. Amazed at his good fortune,
he looked up and saw two men. “Welcome to our
land,” the men said, and they took him to their
king, who listened in amazement to sinbad’s tale.
“Stay with us, I shall put you in charge of our port,”
the king said, and Sinbad happily accepted this
post, for now he was recognized as truly a man of
the sea.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

Sinbad worked hard, and the king gave him

many gifts, but after a while he grew homesick.
One day Sinbad recognized a ship sailing into
harbor. The captain was from his own
hometown baghdad, and the very nextweek,
with many sad farewells, Sinbad sailed home,
taking with him all his many gifts and his gold.
First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor

After the ship docked in Basra, Sinbad hurried

back to Baghdad. And that was how Sinbad first
became known as Sinbad the Sailor, and though
he was a man who loved his home, he never
could resist the lure of yet another adventure
at sea.