Here Sindbad paused, and commanded the musicians to play again, while
the feasting continued until evening. When the time came for the
porter to depart, Sindbad gave him a purse containing one hundred
sequins, saying, "Take this, Hindbad, and go home, but to-morrow come
again and you shall hear more of my adventures."
The porter retired quite overcome by so much generosity, and you may
imagine that he was well received at home, where his wife and children
thanked their lucky stars that he had found such a benefactor.
The next day Hindbad, dressed in his best, returned to the voyager's
house, and was received with open arms. As soon as all the guests had
arrived the banquet began as before, and when they had feasted long and
merrily, Sindbad addressed them thus:
"My friends, I beg that you will give me your attention while I relate
the adventures of my second voyage, which you will find even more
astonishing than the first."
Second Voyage
I had resolved, as you know, on my return from my first voyage, to
spend the rest of my days quietly in Bagdad, but very soon I grew tired
of such an idle life and longed once more to find myself upon the sea.