Luckily
for the sailor, his descent was by day, for " the valley swarmed with
snakes and vipers, each as big as a palm tree, that would have made but
one gulp of an elephant; and they came out by night, hiding during the
day, lest the rukhs and eagles pounce on them and tear them to pieces."
In view of the horrid prospect of soon dropping through the throat of
one of these snakes, Sindbad began to wish that he had not flown away
from the island, where he was, at least, out of reach of vast vipers,
but he soon bethought himself of the old story of the valley from which
diamond-studded meat was "plucked by eagles." So he quickly filled his
pockets and shawl girdle and turban with the choicest diamonds. Then he
put a piece of raw meat on his breast and lay down on his back. Soon a
big eagle swooped into the valley, clutched the meat in his talons, and
flew up to a mountain above, " where, dropping the carcass, he fell to
rending it," leaving the lucky sailor to scramble off with his booty.
He gave a parcel of the diamonds to the disappointed merchant, who had
cast down the meat, but he had stuffed his clothes so full of the gems
that he went home, after some strange sight-seeing, with a great store
of diamonds and money and goods.1
This
amazing tale is less teeming with interest than it was in the days when
it was first told, for, even hundreds of years afterwards,
diamond-lined valleys and monstrous rukhs and snakes that could gulp
down elephants were not beyond credence. If in valleys there might be
a diamond lining, why should there not be a massing of diamonds and
rubies in the dwellings of genii in caves, awaiting the entry of some
lucky Aladdin ? Oriental fancy, teeming with visions, disdained any
curbing within the petty confines of crawling experience, and was
prolific in marvels far more pleasing to the masses that egged on the
story-tellers with craving credulity. Who then could explode these
bubbles with any sharp prick of positive contradiction ? Even if in
all known fields the precious stones were gathered by toilsome searches
only rarely rewarded, who had the
1 "Arabian Nights," Lady Burton's edition, Vol. Ill, pp. 476-482.
