Storytelling Week: The Voyages of Sindbad- The Elephants Retold

7th Voyage, by H. J. Ford

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   Even in the throes of mid age, I found my mind and spirit lingering on the possibility of a final adventure. Many times I had gone abroad seeking the spoils of adventure, and every time I had managed to come back empty-handed... but never empty minded. I could tell tale upon tale, even beyond the six before this one. But this story is the last one, and the one that changed my entire perspective on what the rest of my adventures would mean to me for the rest of my days.
   Due to the perilous circumstances that I had braved before, word of my journeys had reached the Sultan of Baghdad. He and his vizier visited me in my humble home, which I had by this time strewn with ornate trinkets from my ventures, as well as the trappings of a stable home life that I then enjoyed. The Sultan asked me to take a message (along with other gifts) to another leader, the King of Serendib. Being promised a more luxurious accommodation of wealth and land to my sea-side home, I accepted.
   I do not have much to say of the journey to Serendibian lands, because it was a very peaceful journey. I almost wished I hadn't brought my entire crew with me, just so I could enjoy the solitary calmness of the ocean and the immaculate coasts of the lands that I visited before delivering my parcels. The King of Serendib accepted all gifts with great grace, and treated me and my crew delightfully. Then the King of Serendib showered us with treasure, many precious items that would make even my Sutlan blush by their purity and worth. After all our business concluded, my crew and I gave our highest praise and longing "farwells" and headed back to the coast of Baghdad. That is where the serene part of the story ends however.
  Our third day out at sea, my vessel encountered a gnashing storm, one that threatened even the fish below with the power of its waves. For three nights we battled this, which reminded me of my first adventures as a young man.  
   One early morning, with the storm still raging, the ship capsized completely. After moments that felt like eternities, the ship somehow righted itself. I heaved water from my throat and insides, catching my wind just as I was losing consciousness. Looking from the top to bottom, I saw none of my crew members. Below deck the treasure was still fastened, but this was the only fortune I was given. I could not man an entire ship on my own, and now that it was far out to sea, there seemed to be no hope. Again, this reminded me when I was stranded on a raft during one of my previous journeys.
   When the weather cleared, my vessel was then suddenly arrested by merchant pirates who confiscated everything I had to show for my trouble. The pirates then dropped me on an island, with nothing but a bow and a quiver of arrows. Their captain said,"Elephants roam this island. If you can have us 100 of their valuable ivories in a month, we will take you back to your homeland." Not being in a position to refuse, I begun my work.
   I used a tall tree to hunt all my game from: small mammals for food, and elephants for their ivory. However, elephants were much more difficult to subdue than I had thought. After many weeks of living on this island with only one day left, I had only collected only a quarter of the ivories that had been requested. I began panicking. "Would they kill me?", I thought, "Is this really how I reach my end?" Suddenly, through the brush I heard a rumbling. After they had cleared the first layers of foliage, I saw them: this was the same herd of elephants that I had been hunting for the past month. But they were all moving quickly in unison, and then I realized they were charging, right towards my tree. They crushed the truck like an avalanche, but somehow I remained unscathed. I was still terrified nonetheless, especially as the matriarch approached me. She gingerly picked me up with her trunk, which was clearly strong enough to snap me into pieces. She carried me away from my fallen tree and weapons, with the rest of the herd trailing behind her.
   We finally stopped at a large pit that must have stretched for a quarter of a kilometer. Inside this pit were the remains of hundreds of dead elephants. Still paralyzed with fear, I yet managed to see the matriarch pick up a piece of a dead elephant up and hold it to me: it was a large, elegant ivory. The herd, guided by the matriarch, started heading away when I realize: they brought me here so that I would not have to kill any more of them. Realizing that I might be saved by the mercy of an animal that I had showed none to, I cried to them "Thank you!"
   The next day I waited for the merchant pirates, but they did not show up. Instead, another ship, bearing the flag of Baghdad sailed along the coast towards me. On the port bow, the Sultan emerged and waved over to me. I was taken aboard and taken care of. I asked the Sultan, "How did you find me?"
   "My vizier interrogated a group of pirates who paraded as merchants, and they revealed your whereabouts.", the Sultan replied. He looked over my sorry state, "It is a pity that you did not manage to hang on to your treasure from the King of Serendib, and we were not able to recover it."
   "True,", I admitted,"but as a troop of locals here taught me: it is not the riches from a voyage that matters most, it is the journey itself."

(*Below this is the 1000 word mark*)

Author's Note: In this retelling of Sindbad's last voyage, I wanted to exploit a message that the original tales don't necessarily get across very directly in my opinion. We always get the idea that Sindbad is addicted to adventure, but he never admits that it is the thrill from embarking on a voyage that truly drives him. In this retelling he does admit it, but only after experiencing many familiar life threatening circumstances.
   So, its important to understand that Sindbad is a sailor who has gone on many adventures in search of riches. Each time he embarks, however, some unusual or life-threatening circumstance puts him and his crew on a completely different path than they originally intended. Sindbad usually winds up alone and is forced to find his way out of his predicament. He always succeeds through great tribulations, and makes it back to Baghdad (his home city) without any kind of treasure whatsoever. Yet he still tells his tales to all his family and friends, and vows to never go adventuring again, which he always winds up doing anyway because of his restless personality.

Here is a link to the story

Bibliography:
The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang (1898)