Summary
Sindbad the Sailor is a fictional character from a Middle Eastern story-cycle set during the early Abbasid Caliphate (8th and 9th centuries CE) in Baghdad. The story is narrated by the rich Sindbad (the Sailor) to the poor Sindbad (the Porter).
Sindbad's father was a wealthy merchant who died when Sindbad was young, leaving behind a large fortune. Being an inexperienced and thoughtless youth, Sindbad squandered all his inherited wealth foolishly. When he realized his mistake, he decided to recover his fortune by sailing to the Persian Gulf with some trading goods.
During the voyage, the group spotted a beautiful small green island and went ashore to cook food. However, when they lit a fire, the island began to tremble - it was actually the back of a massive sea creature! Terrified, everyone jumped into the sea. Most sailors managed to board the ship, but the captain sailed away hurriedly, leaving behind a few sailors, including Sindbad, who were struggling in the water.
Sindbad grabbed a large piece of floating wood and was tossed by powerful waves until he was finally thrown onto a real island. Exhausted and hungry, he found only herbs to eat and quenched his thirst from a spring. He met a man who took him to a cave where the king's slaves lived. They treated him well and brought him before King Mihrjan, the ruler of the island.