Sindbad and the Roc

Sindbad was a merchant’s son who travelled to many distant lands buying and selling goods. On one of the many voyages, the merchant ship stopped at a beautiful, tree-covered island where Sindbad decided to take a nap.

When he awoke he discovered that the ship had set sail without him! Looking for a way to get off the island he saw a large white dome. Just then a huge shadow fell over him. Looking up Sindbad saw a huge bird, called a Roc, and he realised that the white dome was actually the bird’s egg. A brilliant idea came to him. “Let me tie myself to this bird’s legs!” he thought. “Then, I can leave this island.”

At daybreak when the Roc flew away over the sea, it carried Sindbad too. When it touched down Sindbad untied himself quickly before the Roc flew off again. He found himself in a valley full of diamonds, surrounded by steep mountains. Large serpents hid from the Roc in caves during the day and came out at night.

“Thud! Thud!!” Sindbad saw big chunks of meat landing on the valley floor. Merchants who wanted the diamonds were throwing themdown from the ridges. They waited for the eagles to pick up the chunks of meat with the diamonds stuck on them, and take them to their nests from where the merchants would get the diamonds. Sindbad tied a piece of meat to himself. An eagle picked him up and carried him to its nest and in this way Sindbad escaped from the Valley of Diamonds.