THIRD VOYAGE

After a very short time the pleasant easy life I led made me quite forget the perils of my two voyages.  Moreover, as I was still in the prime of life, it pleased me better to be up and doing.  So once more providing myself with the rarest and choicest merchandise of Bagdad, I conveyed it to Balsora, and set sail with other merchants of my acquaintance for distant lands.  We had touched at many ports and made much profit, when one day upon the open sea we were caught by a terrible wind which blew us completely out of our reckoning, and lasting for several days finally drove us into harbor on a strange island.

“I would rather have come to anchor anywhere than here,” quoth our captain.  “This island and all adjoining it are inhabited by hairy savages, who are certain to attack us, and whatever these dwarfs may do we dare not resist, since they swarm like locusts, and if one of them is killed the rest will fall upon us, and speedily make an end of us.”

These words caused great consternation among all the ship’s company, and only too soon we were to find out that the captain spoke truly.  There appeared a vast multitude of hideous savages, not more than two feet high and covered with reddish fur.  Throwing themselves into the waves they surrounded our vessel.  Chattering meanwhile in a language we could not understand, and clutching at ropes and gangways, they swarmed up the ship’s side with such speed and agility that they almost seemed to fly.

You may imagine the rage and terror that seized us as we watched them, neither daring to hinder them nor able to speak a word to deter them from their purpose, whatever it might be.  Of this we were not left long in doubt.  Hoisting the sails, and cutting the cable of the anchor, they sailed our vessel to an island which lay a little further off, where they drove us ashore; then taking possession of her, they made off to the place from which they had come, leaving us helpless upon a shore avoided with horror by all mariners for a reason which you will soon learn.

Turning away from the sea we wandered miserably inland, finding as we went various herbs and fruits which we ate, feeling that we might as well live as long as possible though we had no hope of escape.  Presently we saw in the far distance what seemed to us to be a splendid palace, towards which we turned our weary steps, but when we reached it we saw that it was a castle, lofty, and strongly built.  Pushing back the heavy ebony doors we entered the courtyard, but upon the threshold of the great hall beyond it we paused, frozen with horror, at the sight which greeted us.  On one side lay a huge pile of bones—­human bones; and on the other numberless spits for roasting!  Overcome with despair we sank trembling to the ground, and lay there without speech or motion.  The sun was setting when a loud noise aroused us, the door of the hall was violently burst open and a horrible giant entered.  He was as tall as a palm tree, and perfectly black, and had one eye, which flamed like a burning coal in the middle of his forehead.  His teeth were long and sharp and grinned horribly, while his lower lip hung down upon his chest, and he had ears like elephant’s ears, which covered his shoulders, and nails like the claws of some fierce bird.