A long, long time ago In Bagdad there lived a man. Sinbad the Porter, worked hard everyday for his money and still he didn’t have a lot of it. One day, Sinbad took a break and stopped at the house of a rich merchant. Sinbad smelled the most delicious smells coming from the house and heard the most beautiful music. “It’s so unfair that some people can enjoy the finer things in life without working hard and I work hard everyday and still can’t enjoy it!,” Sinbad complained.
At that moment a boy came out of the house and walked up to Sinbad. He took the porter by the hand and led him into the house. Sinbad was mesmerized by the beauty of the house. “This must be the house of a King or Sultan,” he thought to himself. In a grand hall, Sinbad saw an impressive man with a big grey beard. The host pointed to a chair and asked for his name. “My name is Sinbad the Porter,” Sinbad replied. “What a coincidence! My name is also Sinbad. Sinbad the Sailor,” said the host.
“I heard you complain about how unfair the world is,” continued Sinbad the sailor. “But let me tell you my friend, this wealth didn’t come easy to me either. Before I came to live here, I have travelled seven travels. One travel more remarkable then the previous. I shall tell you the story of my first travel.” And Sinbad the sailor did just so. And Sinbad the porter said and listened in awe to the amazing adventure.
After the story Sinbad the sailor, invited his namesake to stay for dinner. After dinner he gifted the porter a large amount of gold. Then he invited him to come over the next day to listen to the story of the second travel.
The next day, Sinbad the porter was warmly welcomed in the house of sinbad the sailor. He got the most delicious food and drinks and listened to the story of the second travel. Upon leaving, the porter again received a large amount of gold. He couldn’t believe his luck!
On the seventh day, Sinbad the Sailor told the most amazing story, Sinbad the Porter had ever heard. He understood now that the sailor had endured a lot to be where he was now. “I apologize for thinking your life has always been easy,” he told his kind host. Again, Sinbad the porter received a large amount of gold upon leaving. Now, the porter also didn’t have to work hard anymore.
And the friends, Sinbad the Sailor and Sinbad the Porter lived happily ever after.
Credits
Hanna Diyab was an eighteenth-century Syrian storyteller whose oral contributions to Antoine Galland's collection are now credited as the true source of some of the Arabian Nights' most iconic tales, including Sinbad the Sailor. Born in Aleppo around 1688, Diyab travelled to Paris where he met Galland and shared the stories that would captivate European readers for centuries. His authorship went largely unrecognised until the rediscovery of his memoir, The Book of Travels.
