thatistosay，’Iamhappytofind，mydearSinbad，thatyouarereallyaveryexcellentfellow；wearenowaboutdoingathingwhichiscalledcircumnavigatingtheglobe；andsinceyouaresodesirousofseeingtheworld，Iwillstrainapointandgiveyouafreepassageuponbackofthebeast。’“
WhentheLadyScheherazadehadproceededthusfar，relatesthe“Isitsoornot。”thekingturnedoverfromhisleftsidetohisright，andsaid：
“Itis，infact，verysurprising，mydearqueen，thatyouomitted，hitherto，theselatteradventuresofSinbad。DoyouknowIthinkthemexceedinglyentertainingandstrange？”
Thekinghavingthusexpressedhimself，wearetold，thefairScheherazaderesumedherhistoryinthefollowingwords：
“Sinbadwentoninthismannerwithhisnarrativetothecaliph-’I
thankedtheman-animalforitskindness，andsoonfoundmyselfverymuchathomeonthebeast，whichswamataprodigiousratethroughtheocean；althoughthesurfaceofthelatteris，inthatpartoftheworld，bynomeansflat，butroundlikeapomegranate，sothatwewentsotosayeitheruphillordownhillallthetime。’
“ThatIthink，wasverysingular。”interruptedtheking。
“Nevertheless，itisquitetrue。”repliedScheherazade。
“Ihavemydoubts。”rejoinedtheking；“but，pray，besogoodastogoonwiththestory。”
“Iwill。”saidthequeen。“’Thebeast，’continuedSinbadtothecaliph，’swam，asIhaverelated，uphillanddownhilluntil，atlength，wearrivedatanisland，manyhundredsofmilesincircumference，butwhich，nevertheless，hadbeenbuiltinthemiddleoftheseabyacolonyoflittlethingslikecaterpillars’“{*1}
“Hum！”saidtheking。
“’Leavingthisisland，’saidSinbadforScheherazade，itmustbeunderstood，tooknonoticeofherhusband’sill-manneredejaculation
’leavingthisisland，wecametoanotherwheretheforestswereofsolidstone，andsohardthattheyshiveredtopiecesthefinest-temperedaxeswithwhichweendeavouredtocutthemdown。”’
“Hum！”saidtheking，again；butScheherazade，payinghimnoattention，continuedinthelanguageofSinbad。
“’Passingbeyondthislastisland，wereachedacountrywheretherewasacavethatrantothedistanceofthirtyorfortymileswithinthebowelsoftheearth，andthatcontainedagreaternumberoffarmorespaciousandmoremagnificentpalacesthanaretobefoundinallDamascusandBagdad。Fromtheroofsofthesepalacestherehungmyriadsofgems，likeddiamonds，butlargerthanmen；andinamongthestreetsoftowersandpyramidsandtemples，thereflowedimmenseriversasblackasebony，andswarmingwithfishthathadnoeyes。’“
{*3}
“Hum！”saidtheking。“’Wethenswamintoaregionoftheseawherewefoundaloftymountain，downwhosesidestherestreamedtorrentsofmeltedmetal，someofwhichweretwelvemileswideandsixtymileslong{*4}；whilefromanabyssonthesummit，issuedsovastaquantityofashesthatthesunwasentirelyblottedoutfromtheheavens，anditbecamedarkerthanthedarkestmidnight；sothatwhenwewereevenatthedistanceofahundredandfiftymilesfromthemountain，itwasimpossibletoseethewhitestobject，howevercloseweheldittooureyes。’“{*5}
“Hum！”saidtheking。
“’Afterquittingthiscoast，thebeastcontinuedhisvoyageuntilwemetwithalandinwhichthenatureofthingsseemedreversedforweheresawagreatlake，atthebottomofwhich，morethanahundredfeetbeneaththesurfaceofthewater，thereflourishedinfullleafaforestoftallandluxurianttrees。’“{*6}
“Hoo！”saidtheking。
“Somehundredmilesfartheronbroughtustoaclimatewheretheatmospherewassodenseastosustainironorsteel，justasourowndoesfeather。’“{*7
“Fiddlededee。”saidtheking。
“Proceedingstillinthesamedirection，wepresentlyarrivedatthemostmagnificentregioninthewholeworld。Throughittheremeanderedagloriousriverforseveralthousandsofmiles。Thisriverwasofunspeakabledepth，andofatransparencyricherthanthatofamber。Itwasfromthreetosixmilesinwidth；anditsbankswhicharoseoneithersidetotwelvehundredfeetinperpendicularheight，werecrownedwithever-blossomingtreesandperpetualsweet-scentedflowers，thatmadethewholeterritoryonegorgeousgarden；butthenameofthisluxuriantlandwastheKingdomofHorror，andtoenteritwasinevitabledeath’“{*8}
“Humph！”saidtheking。
“’Weleftthiskingdomingreathaste，and，aftersomedays，cametoanother，wherewewereastonishedtoperceivemyriadsofmonstrousanimalswithhornsresemblingscythesupontheirheads。Thesehideousbeastsdigforthemselvesvastcavernsinthesoil，ofafunnelshape，andlinethesidesofthemwith，rocks，sodisposedoneupontheotherthattheyfallinstantly，whentroddenuponbyotheranimals，thusprecipitatingthemintothemonster’sdens，wheretheirbloodisimmediatelysucked，andtheircarcassesafterwardshurledcontemptuouslyouttoanimmensedistancefrom“thecavernsofdeath。”’“{*9}
“Pooh！”saidtheking。
“’Continuingourprogress，weperceivedadistrictwithvegetablesthatgrewnotuponanysoilbutintheair。{*10}Therewereothersthatsprangfromthesubstanceofothervegetables；{*11}othersthatderivedtheirsubstancefromthebodiesoflivinganimals；{*12}andthenagain，therewereothersthatglowedalloverwithintensefire；
{*13}othersthatmovedfromplacetoplaceatpleasure，{*14}andwhatwasstillmorewonderful，wediscoveredflowersthatlivedandbreathedandmovedtheirlimbsatwillandhad，moreover，thedetestablepassionofmankindforenslavingothercreatures，andconfiningtheminhorridandsolitaryprisonsuntilthefulfillmentofappointedtasks。’“{*15}
“Pshaw！”saidtheking。
“’Quittingthisland，wesoonarrivedatanotherinwhichthebeesandthebirdsaremathematiciansofsuchgeniusanderudition，thattheygivedailyinstructionsinthescienceofgeometrytothewisemenoftheempire。Thekingoftheplacehavingofferedarewardforthesolutionoftwoverydifficultproblems，theyweresolveduponthespottheonebythebees，andtheotherbythebirds；butthekingkeepingtheirsolutionasecret，itwasonlyafterthemostprofoundresearchesandlabor，andthewritingofaninfinityofbigbooks，duringalongseriesofyears，thatthemen-mathematiciansatlengtharrivedattheidenticalsolutionswhichhadbeengivenuponthespotbythebeesandbythebirds。’“{*16}
“Ohmy！”saidtheking。
“’Wehadscarcelylostsightofthisempirewhenwefoundourselvescloseuponanother，fromwhoseshoresthereflewoverourheadsaflockoffowlsamileinbreadth，andtwohundredandfortymileslong；sothat，althoughtheyflewamileduringeveryminute，itrequirednolessthanfourhoursforthewholeflocktopassoverusinwhichtherewereseveralmillionsofmillionsoffowl。’“{*17}
“Ohfy！”saidtheking。
“’Nosoonerhadwegotridofthesebirds，whichoccasionedusgreatannoyance，thanwewereterrifiedbytheappearanceofafowlofanotherkind，andinfinitelylargerthaneventherocswhichImetinmyformervoyages；foritwasbiggerthanthebiggestofthedomesonyourseraglio，oh，mostMunificentofCaliphs。Thisterriblefowlhadnoheadthatwecouldperceive，butwasfashionedentirelyofbelly，whichwasofaprodigiousfatnessandroundness，ofasoft-lookingsubstance，smooth，shiningandstripedwithvariouscolors。Initstalons，themonsterwasbearingawaytohiseyrieintheheavens，ahousefromwhichithadknockedofftheroof，andintheinteriorofwhichwedistinctlysawhumanbeings，who，beyonddoubt，wereinastateoffrightfuldespairatthehorriblefatewhichawaitedthem。
Weshoutedwithallourmight，inthehopeoffrighteningthebirdintolettinggoofitsprey，butitmerelygaveasnortorpuff，asifofrageandthenletfalluponourheadsaheavysackwhichprovedtobefilledwithsand！’“
“Stuff！”saidtheking。
“’Itwasjustafterthisadventurethatweencounteredacontinentofimmenseextentandprodigioussolidity，butwhich，nevertheless，wassupportedentirelyuponthebackofasky-bluecowthathadnofewerthanfourhundredhorns。’“{*18}
“That，now，Ibelieve。”saidtheking，“becauseIhavereadsomethingofthekindbefore，inabook。”
“’Wepassedimmediatelybeneaththiscontinent，swimminginbetweenthelegsofthecow，and，aftersomehours，foundourselvesinawonderfulcountryindeed，which，Iwasinformedbytheman-animal，washisownnativeland，inhabitedbythingsofhisownspecies。Thiselevatedtheman-animalverymuchinmyesteem，andinfact，InowbegantofeelashamedofthecontemptuousfamiliaritywithwhichI
hadtreatedhim；forIfoundthattheman-animalsingeneralwereanationofthemostpowerfulmagicians，wholivedwithwormsintheirbrain，{*19}which，nodoubt，servedtostimulatethembytheirpainfulwrithingsandwrigglingstothemostmiraculouseffortsofimagination！’“
“Nonsense！”saidtheking。
“’Amongthemagicians，weredomesticatedseveralanimalsofverysingularkinds；forexample，therewasahugehorsewhoseboneswereironandwhosebloodwasboilingwater。Inplaceofcorn，hehadblackstonesforhisusualfood；andyet，inspiteofsohardadiet，hewassostrongandswiftthathewoulddragaloadmoreweightythanthegrandesttempleinthiscity，ataratesurpassingthatoftheflightofmostbirds。’“{*20}
“Twattle！”saidtheking。
“’Isaw，also，amongthesepeopleahenwithoutfeathers，butbiggerthanacamel；insteadoffleshandboneshehadironandbrick；herblood，likethatofthehorse，towhom，infact，shewasnearlyrelated，wasboilingwater；andlikehimsheatenothingbutwoodorblackstones。Thishenbroughtforthveryfrequently，ahundredchickensintheday；and，afterbirth，theytookuptheirresidenceforseveralweekswithinthestomachoftheirmother。’“{*21}
“Fa！lal！”saidtheking。
“’Oneofthisnationofmightyconjurorscreatedamanoutofbrassandwood，andleather，andendowedhimwithsuchingenuitythathewouldhavebeatenatchess，alltheraceofmankindwiththeexceptionofthegreatCaliph，HarounAlraschid。{*22}Anotherofthesemagiconstructedoflikematerialacreaturethatputtoshameeventhegeniusofhimwhomadeit；forsogreatwereitsreasoningpowersthat，inasecond，itperformedcalculationsofsovastanextentthattheywouldhaverequiredtheunitedlaboroffiftythousandfleshymenforayear。*23}Butastillmorewonderfulconjurorfashionedforhimselfamightythingthatwasneithermannorbeast，butwhichhadbrainsoflead，intermixedwithablackmatterlikepitch，andfingersthatitemployedwithsuchincrediblespeedanddexteritythatitwouldhavehadnotroubleinwritingouttwentythousandcopiesoftheKoraninanhour，andthiswithsoexquisiteaprecision，thatinallthecopiesthereshouldnotbefoundonetovaryfromanotherbythebreadthofthefinesthair。Thisthingwasofprodigiousstrength，sothatiterectedoroverthrewthemightiestempiresatabreath；butitspowerswereexercisedequallyforevilandforgood。’“
“Ridiculous！”saidtheking。
“’Amongthisnationofnecromancerstherewasalsoonewhohadinhisveinsthebloodofthesalamanders；forhemadenoscrupleofsittingdowntosmokehischiboucinared-hotovenuntilhisdinnerwasthoroughlyroasteduponitsfloor。{*24}Anotherhadthefacultyofconvertingthecommonmetalsintogold，withoutevenlookingatthemduringtheprocess。{*25}Anotherhadsuchadelicacyoftouchthathemadeawiresofineastobeinvisible。{*26}Anotherhadsuchquicknessofperceptionthathecountedalltheseparatemotionsofanelasticbody，whileitwasspringingbackwardandforwardattherateofninehundredmillionsoftimesinasecond。’“{*27}
“Absurd！”saidtheking。
“’Anotherofthesemagicians，bymeansofafluidthatnobodyeveryetsaw，couldmakethecorpsesofhisfriendsbrandishtheirarms，kickouttheirlegs，fight，orevengetupanddanceathiswill。
{*28}Anotherhadcultivatedhisvoicetosogreatanextentthathecouldhavemadehimselfheardfromoneendoftheworldtotheother。
{*29}AnotherhadsolonganarmthathecouldsitdowninDamascusandinditealetteratBagdadorindeedatanydistancewhatsoever。{*30}Anothercommandedthelightningtocomedowntohimoutoftheheavens，anditcameathiscall；andservedhimforaplaythingwhenitcame。Anothertooktwoloudsoundsandoutofthemmadeasilence。Anotherconstructedadeepdarknessoutoftwobrilliantlights。{*31}Anothermadeiceinared-hotfurnace。{*32}
Anotherdirectedthesuntopainthisportrait，andthesundid。
{*33}Anothertookthisluminarywiththemoonandtheplanets，andhavingfirstweighedthemwithscrupulousaccuracy，probedintotheirdepthsandfoundoutthesolidityofthesubstanceofwhichtheyweremade。Butthewholenationis，indeed，ofsosurprisinganecromanticability，thatnoteventheirinfants，northeircommonestcatsanddogshaveanydifficultyinseeingobjectsthatdonotexistatall，orthatfortwentymillionsofyearsbeforethebirthofthenationitselfhadbeenblottedoutfromthefaceofcreation。”’{*34}