Back to: Andhra Pradesh Board Class 7th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
After being trapped on an island all alone, Sindbad improvises and manages to leave the island but lands himself in a trickier situation.
The Flying Sailor
Sindbad was a sailor. On one trip with his merchant friends, he accidentally gets left behind on an island. All alone and clueless, he manages to climb a tall tree and look for something important and useful. He spots something white and upon further viewing, he realises it’s an egg belonging to a huge bird called ‘roc’. The egg was enormous and so was the bird. He devises a rather ingenious plan and ties his turban to the bird’s leg so that when it flew away from the island, it would carry him with it.
At daybreak when the bird soared, Sindbad was carried along and the flight made him lose his senses for a while. Once on land, he quickly untied himself and found himself surrounded on all sides by immense mountains that seemed to reach above the clouds. The sides of the valley looked so steep that there was no possibility of climbing them. Upon further exploring he discovers the valley to be filled with diamonds.
There were enormous serpents all across the valley, some of which were large enough to devour an elephant. They ventured in the dark and hid from the rocs during the day. Sindbad sought refuge in a small cave. He obstructed the entrance with a large stone to protect himself from the snakes.
Too terrified of the creatures, he hardly celebrates the discovery of the diamonds. Tired, he eats a little food and decides to nap in the open. When something fell near him, Sindbad was woken from his nap. He found raw meat falling from the rocks above the valley. This was the method the local merchants used to get the eagles to carry diamonds for them.
The eagles swoop down into the valley to seek food for their young. Large pieces of raw meat would be thrown down by the merchants; the meat would attach to the diamonds, which would then fly to the eagles’ nests. Each trader has his own nest and claims the jewels within as his own.
Using the same technique, Sindbad grabbed large diamonds for himself and then tied some meat on his back using his turban. He then laid down and waited. An eagle soon lifted him and he was carried to a nest. The merchants were surprised by his story and they helped him return home. Sindbad prospered after arriving in Baghdad. He also contributed to the needy and lived a pleasant life.
Conclusion
The story overall inspires readers to adapt and improvise. Rather than panicking, Sindbad devised a tactful way of getting out and succeeded. Gaining the diamonds did not turn him greedy rather he helped the destitute and lived peacefully.
