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How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the country-side-

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown-

Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

SINDBAD, THE SAILOR

FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

Sindbad was a sailor. One day his ship landed

at an island. Sindbad got off the ship.

He went for a walk.

and ate some food.

After a while he sat down

What

Then he took a nap.

When he wakened, the ship was gone.

should he do? No one lived on the island. Sindbad was sure he would die there all alone.

He climbed a tall tree and looked about. On one side was the sea. On the other side was the land.

On the land he could see something large and

white. He went to find out what it was. It was as big as a house, and smooth and round. Suddenly a great

The sun was about to set.

bird came flying across the sky and sat on the

big white thing.

Sindbad had heard of this bird. It was called the Roc. The great white thing was the Roc's egg.

Sindbad came close to the Roc. He tied himself to one of her legs. The leg was as large as a tree. The next morning the Roc flew away. She took Sindbad with her.

The Roc flew so high that Sindbad could not see the land. Then she came down so fast that he was almost killed.

As soon as the Roc stopped, Sindbad untied himself from her leg. The Roc flew away at

once.

The Roc had left Sindbad in a deep valley. There were cliffs on both sides. They seemed higher than the clouds. Sindbad did not know what to do.

As he walked about he found that the valley

was full of diamonds. But Sindbad did not want diamonds.

He only wanted to get home.

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That night he went into a cave, but he could

not sleep. In the morning he ate some food and then fell asleep.

Suddenly Sindbad was awakened. A large

piece of raw meat had fallen by his side. Then Sindbad knew he was in the Valley of Diamonds. Sailors had often told him about it.

They said that men came there to get the diamonds. They would throw raw meat down from the high rocks.

Then great eagles would fly down and carry the meat to their nests. The diamonds would stick to the meat.

As soon as the eagles were in their nests the men would drive them off and get the diamonds. Sindbad filled his bag with the biggest diamonds he could find. Then he tied a big piece of meat about his waist.

Soon an eagle flew down and took Sindbad to her nest. Then a man came and drove the eagle

away.

Sindbad asked the man to take all his diamonds. "No," said the man, "I will take only That will make me rich."

this one.

Then Sindbad went home with the man and with his diamonds, too.

Adapted.

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