With each fresh discovery of a law of nature, mankind has gained understanding and power. New stories arise to illustrate our changing experience of our place in the universe. We remain abashed by our tremendous ignorance, but grow ever more confident of our ability to master the elements, to harness and command the chariots of the gods.

Compare the character of the Shaman Aadja with that of Sindbad the Sailor, one of the 1001 tales from the Arabian Nights. Although he encounters fabulous creatures, Sindbad is aided not by the spirits of nature or the heavens, but seemingly by his native wit alone. He seems in this sense a modern hero.

As always, Sindbad set sail simply because he was bored with the quiet life of the city. He joined a ship's company that traded from place to place. One day they landed at an island that seemed to have neither man nor animal, and decided to rest for awhile. Sindbad, being curious, wandered off a ways and found a stream with great shade trees, made himself comfortable, and soon fell asleep. When he awoke the sun was setting. He returned to the shore and to his dismay discovered that the ship was gone.

Not knowing what to do, he climbed to the top of a tall tree and surveyed the land. Presently he spied what appeared to be a great white rock not too far away, and made his way towards it. When he arrived he discovered that the rock was very much like a dome that rose above him, and smooth wherever he touched. He walked all around it but could find no door, nor was he able to climb upon it because of its slipperiness.

Suddenly the sky grew dark and gazing up Sindbad was horrified to see a huge bird descending upon the very spot where he stood. It was not a rock he had been puzzling over - it was a gigantic egg. Sindbad knelt under the egg as best he could as the bird alighted and sat down upon it. The bird's legs were bigger than the trunk of the tree he had climbed so short a time ago, and Sindbad had an idea.

He unraveled his turban and tied it round a leg of the bird, which soon rose into the sky carrying Sindbad with it. He was pleased with himself and imagined that he would before long be in the company of men again. And when the bird rapidly descended and landed, Sindbad quickly unfastened the turban and was free. Just in time, for the bird was quickly up and away.

Sindbad looked about and his spirits sunk. He was surrounded by mountains so high they touched the clouds, and so steep they could not be climbed. Then he made another startling discovery. Strewn across the desert floor were thousands of brilliant diamonds, some as large as a person's head. At first Sindbad shouted with delight. Then he sat down and wept. He was sitting amid fabulous wealth but it was useless to him. He was a prisoner.

Suddenly something fell to the ground nearby, then more objects hit the desert floor. They were large chunks of meat, and as each one landed it became skewered upon the diamonds scattered about. No sooner had the meat landed than one of the monstrous birds dove down from the sky, snatched up the meat riddled with diamonds, and flew away.

The quick-witted Sindbad immediately scooped up some diamonds into his leather pouch and tied it round his waist. Then he wrapped a piece of meat against his back with his turban and lay face down on the ground. In moments another huge bird swept down and clutched with its talons the meat that was bound to Sindbad, and away into the air it flew.

Breathlessly Sindbad rose high above the desert where he had been captive, the great wings of the bird beating the air as they rose up the mountain side. At last the bird came to rest on a cliff where it made its nest. As soon as the bird landed there came a shouting and clamoring and to Sindbad's amazement a man appeared. He drove the bird into the air with a stick, and was himself startled to find Sindbad in the nest.

It was this man who had tossed down the chunks of meat, and who would pluck the diamonds from them after the birds had returned to their aeries. Sindbad was thankful for the man's ingenuity and had no quarrel with his claim that the diamonds belonged to him. Satisfied, the man guided Sindbad down the side of the mountain that led to the sea, fed and cared for him, and secured him passage on the next sailing vessel that put into port. When Sindbad returned home, he became a man of great riches and fame.

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Last modified: Tue Jul 1 15:45:34 PDT 1997

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