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It was far away, but it was a horse.

I walked toward the horse, and I saw that it was a very beautiful one.

A horse like this, I thought, is a king or a very rich man's horse.

Just then a man came running from a cave.

He had a sword in his hand, and as he ran he called, any man who touches the king's horse

dies.

Don't kill me, I said.

I was just looking at this beautiful horse.

Is it yours?

Who are you, he asked?

And why are you here?

I'm here, I said, because God was good and sent me a water pot to save me from the sea.

I told him my story.

He took my hand and led me to the cave.

There he made me sit down, and he gave me food and water.

God has been really good to you, he said.

For one week every year, I and some other servants of the king bring his best horses

here to this island.

The air is good for them, but the island has no food or water for men.

It is very far from the places where people live, and you would never find your way there

without help.

We go tomorrow, and you can come with us.

After a time the other servants came, each with a horse, they heard my story and they were

kind to me.

The next day I went with them, riding one of the king's beautiful horses, on the way they

told me about their king.

King Miraj, they said, is the greatest king in the land.

He is led by all his people, and he is kind to everyone.

Merchants from every country come to our great city, which stands beside the sea.

When we got to the city, the servants told King Miraj about me.

The king sent for me and heard my story.

You have been very fortunate, he said to me.

God is good, and he told his servants to help me in every way.

King Miraj liked me, he sent for me again and again, he was very kind to me.

I can speak to people from many countries, so he asked me to look after all the merchants

and seamen who came to his city.

After that I saw him every day to tell him about the goods that they brought and took

away.

I asked the captain of every ship about his voyage and about Baghdad.

One day a big ship came in from the east.

The merchants brought their goods out of it and began selling and buying in the city.

I spoke to the ship's captain, are there any more goods in the ship I asked?

These merchants have no more goods in the ship, he said.

But there are a few boxes.

The young merchant began the voyage with us, and the goods in the boxes were his.

He is dead, we saw the sea take him.

I'm going to sell his goods here for gold and take the gold back to his people in the

great city of Baghdad.

Then I saw that I knew the captain's face.

What was his name?

I asked.

What was the merchant's name?

I asked again.

His name was Sinbad.

I nearly fell to the ground.

I gave a great cry.

I am Sinbad, I said.

The goods are mine and I must thank you for saving the for me.

Oh, he cried.

Who can we believe?

You have the look of a good man, but you say that you are Sinbad.

You say it because you want his goods.

Sinbad is dead.

I saw the sea take him, and the sea men and merchants on my ship saw him die too.

Captain, I said, here my story, and then you will believe me.

And I told him my story from the time that I spoke to him at Basra.

I told him the words that we had spoken, and I made him remember many things that he and I had said and done.

At last he believed me, and he and the merchants from his ship were very glad.

We didn't believe that you could still be alive, they said.

But God is good, and we are very happy that you have been saved.

Then the captain gave me all my goods.

I made from them a rich present for King Mirage, and the sea men carried it to him and put it down at his feet.

What is this, the king said to me?

You came here with nothing, and now so soon you can give me this very rich present?

How has this happened?

I told him about the ship which had come with my own goods.

He gave thanks to God for me, and he gave me a present that was far better than my present to him.

When the ship was ready to sail, I went to see King Mirage.

I am sad, I told him, to go from your beautiful country, and from its great and good king, from you have been so kind to me.

But I must again see my own dear city of Baghdad.

Yes, and bad he said, he must go home.

You have been a good friend, and you have helped me greatly.

Go with my thanks.

King Mirage told a servant to take rich presents to the ship for me, gold and jewels, beautiful cloths, and other things without price.

After a very long voyage, the ship came to Basra, and I soon made the journey to Baghdad.

My friends were glad to see me, and I bought a beautiful house and lived there, rich and happy.