After returning from his third journey with immense wealth and a renewed reputation, Sindbad the Sailor spent a year in Baghdad enjoying the comforts of his hard-earned riches. However, the call of the horizon is a powerful siren, and soon, his spirit grew restless. Much like the wisdom shared in The Tale of the Bull and Ass, Sindbad knew that every action had its consequence, yet his desire for trade and new horizons propelled him toward the sea once more.
He gathered a crew and set sail from Basra, trading at various ports. For many days, the winds were favorable, but fate had other plans. A sudden, violent storm struck the vessel, tearing the sails to ribbons and dashing the ship against the jagged rocks of an unknown island. While many perished in the freezing depths, Sindbad and a few others managed to cling to pieces of wreckage and wash ashore.
The Island of the Magi and the Lose-Wit Herb
As the survivors explored the island, they were captured by a tribe of savage men known as the Magi. These people were tall, dark, and had a frightening custom. They immediately brought the sailors to their king and offered them a strange, green herb. Sindbad, having learned caution through his previous trials—not unlike the protagonist in The Merchant and the Genie—refused to eat the plant.
His companions, driven by hunger, ate greedily. Within minutes, their eyes grew dull, and their minds became clouded. This was the ‘lose-wit’ herb, designed to make captives lose their reason so they could be fattened up like cattle for the tribe’s consumption. Sindbad watched in horror as his friends were led away to be fed grain and oil. He remained thin and sickly by choice, avoiding the food, which made the cannibals lose interest in him as a meal.
A New Life and the Invention of the Saddle
One day, while the cannibals were busy, Sindbad managed to slip away into the dense forest. He traveled for seven days, surviving on coconuts and berries, until he reached a different part of the island inhabited by more civilized people. These people were kind and took him to their king.
Sindbad noticed something peculiar: although the kingdom had many fine horses, the riders sat directly on the animals’ backs without any support. Recalling his diverse knowledge of the world, much like the fantastical inventions found in The Ebony Horse, Sindbad decided to introduce them to the saddle and stirrup. He hired a clever blacksmith and a carpenter, crafting a magnificent saddle of leather and wood. The King was so delighted with this invention that he rewarded Sindbad with immense wealth and a beautiful noblewoman as his wife. For a while, Sindbad lived in luxury, almost forgetting the hardships of the sea.
The Terrible Custom of the Living Tomb
However, Sindbad’s peace was shattered when the wife of one of his friends died. He went to comfort the widower, only to find the man in a state of utter terror. He learned of a local law: when a spouse dies, the survivor is buried alive with them to ensure they are never separated in the afterlife.
Before Sindbad could even process this horror, his own wife fell ill and passed away. Despite his pleas to the King, the law was absolute. Sindbad was lowered into a massive, dark cavern with his wife’s body, seven loaves of bread, and a pitcher of water. The cavern was filled with the skeletons and decaying bodies of those who had gone before him. This dark, underwater-like despair is reminiscent of the themes found in The Story of Gulnare, where the boundary between life and the abyss is thin.
The Daring Escape
Days passed in the pitch-black silence of the tomb. Sindbad survived by rationing his bread and water. Just as despair was about to claim him, he heard a scratching sound. He followed the noise and saw a scavenger animal—a hyena or a jackal—that had entered the cavern through a tiny fissure to feed on the dead.
Sindbad followed the creature through the narrow opening and eventually emerged on the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. He returned to the cavern several times to gather the jewels and gold that had been buried with the dead. Eventually, a ship passed by, and he signaled them for rescue.
Sindbad returned to Baghdad with more treasure than he had ever imagined, yet the memories of the living tomb haunted him. He spent his days in charity and storytelling, warning others of the unpredictable nature of fate. His next journey, Sindbad The 5th Voyage, would prove even more challenging as he encountered the terrifying Roc and the Old Man of the Sea.
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