First Voyage
Sindbad and some other sailors traveled across Persia, selling and trading their merchandise. Often they would stop and take breaks on various islands. One fateful day, however, the island they stopped on was a sleeping whale, which awoke at the starting of a fire by the sailors. Sindbad was not able to re-board the ship, and washed onto an island, which he would call home after being welcomed by the king. After some time, a ship stops at the island where Sindbad now resides, and he finds that this is the same ship from which he had disappeared some time before. Despite the captain believing he is lying, Sindbad eventually gets the captain to recognize him and welcome him back, glad to find out that he had not perished as they had believed.
Second Voyage
Once again, we see Sindbad lost and alone without a ship. This time, he is left behind after he falls asleep on an island while they are stopped, and awakens after the ship has already sailed away. Climbing into a tree, he sees a large white object, and is stunned to discover that it is a bird's egg, a bird known as the Roc, with legs as large as tree trunks. He takes advantage and ties himself to the bird, escaping the island, but also becoming stuck in a valley filled with massive serpents and many diamonds. He had heard tales of this bird and this valley, but did not believe they were true until now. After seeing merchants throw large pieces of meat into the valley in hopes that a bird will pick it up, and the meat be filled with diamonds, he gathers as many diamonds as he can, and clings to the piece of meat, being carried out by an eagle. The merchants were distraught initially that he had come with the meat instead of diamonds, but after telling his tale, he offered them some of his diamonds, and traveled with these merchants, eventually making his way back home once again.
The Valley of Diamonds by Maxfield Parrish
Source: Wikipedia
Third Voyage
Because two voyages ending in an adventure was not enough, Sindbad left on yet another voyage. This time, the entire crew is forced off of the ship, on what the captain said was the worst island for them to have landed on. Searching, they find a castle, but it is inhabited by a massive giant with one eye, who would select one of the crew each night, roast them, and eat them. After a few nights of fear, Sindbad and the other sailors set off to make rafts for escape during the day, and attacked the giant that night, blinding him by stabbing his eye with multiple spits. The giant, however, returns the next day with many more giants, who sink all but one raft as the sailors try to escape, which Sindbad is fortunately on. On their next island, the two remaining sailors with Sindbad are eaten by a snake on consecutive nights. He builds a crude shelter, successfully hiding from the snake who could not break through to Sindbad. That next day, Sindbad spots a ship in the distance, and is brought aboard the ship. While purchasing some items that belong to a perished sailor, he discovers that it is the same boat captain from his second voyage, and that these items were his from that trip. The captain is elated, and takes Sindbad back to Bagdad, thus completing his third voyage.
Fourth Voyage
For the fourth time, Sindbad heads out on a voyage, this one rocked by a hurricane that destroys the ship and kills most of the sailors. Sindbad and the remaining sailors wash ashore on an island, where they find huts, and are captured by the inhabitants. The inhabitants offer copious amounts of food to the sailors, all of whom except Sindbad eat with great fervor, before being killed and eaten once they have been fattened up. Sindbad, on the other hand, ate very little, and was left alone by his captors, who he manages to escape from. He runs into people who are amazed that he was not eaten as his fellow sailors were, and take him to their homeland. He impresses the king of this land, as well as many high-ranking officials with the gifts of saddles for their horses, and is offered a beautiful wife as part of his repayment. However, Sindbad is distraught when he learns that this island has a custom where if your spouse dies, you must be buried along with them. Alas, his wife passes, and he is buried with her, barely surviving. He kills someone else who is buried with their spouse to gain their rations, surviving long enough on these to discover another entrance to the cave they are buried in. He manages to escape, being found by another boat, who fortunately takes him back to Bagdad to complete his fourth voyage.
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