After surviving his last adventure, Sindibad, decided to return to his home town, The Old Baghdad, carrying with him precious jewelries and a lot of gold coins that he earned and collected during the time of his sailing adventures.

When he arrived at his home land, he ran quickly to find out who owned his parents’ house and his father’s shop. He was very eager to get them back, so he made a quick arrangement to buy them, though his father’s shop cost him a big amount of money as the owner heard about Sindibad’s fortune and was greedy to get some of it.

Sindibad enjoyed a pleasant home-coming; he worked hard until he restored the reputation of his late father’s shop. He spent most of the afternoons with his close friend Hassan doing some gardening, running, playing and enjoying the funny stories of Yasmina’s (the talking bird that his uncle Ala Al Din had gifted to him) that she brought from around the town.

The first few months went very quickly until one day Yasmina came waving her wings frantically dropping some of her feathers on Sindibad’s head while he was relaxing in his bath. He asked her about the matter, then in a very shaky voice she told him that an infectious sickness had spread in some outer areas around Baghdad changing people’s life into hell. The only way to kill this odd disease was an infusion of rare herb that grows in an isolated isle called Sea-Maids Isle west of Sind land behind the open sea. So the town’s healer had said.

The adventure of going to bring the saving herbs did not take root in Sindibad’s mind at the beginning, especially when he heard that it was impossible to reach the Sea-Maids Isle because of the unknown dangers that killed everyone tried to reach this isle. But the things began to go terribly wrong when the sickness spread inside the city affecting many of Sindibad’s acquaintances including his intimate friend Hassan and his generous neighbor uncle Ahmed.

He ran quickly to his uncle Ala Al Din asking for wise advice. Uncle Ala Al Din was a great sailor and he was the one who took Sindibad for the first sailing trip and trained him in the sailing skills making in him a good sailor. Uncle Ala Al Din was an old man unable to sail, but he encouraged his brave nephew to go as quickly as he could in order to help his people.
Sindibad left Yasmina in his uncle’s care and very quickly picked some clothes and food for his long trip and ran to the harbour asking about a ship that could take him to the Sea-Maids Isle. But everyone he had asked looked surprised at him until an old man told him that this isle was considered the most dangerous spot in the sea for the last twenty years many ships had been sunk. No one survived in reaching it, but he named a ship called Seas Jewel that was the only ship that had got to the nearest isle to Sea-Maids.

On the bright water in the next morning Seas Jewel moved towards west and few passengers as well as Sindibad were on the board. The open sea always inspired Sindibad with hope and enthusiasm. Every afternoon he was sitting on the narrow deck watching the sunset over the water and counting the days of his trip.

On the last night, the night number ten, the ship had been struck by a strong storm that filled her with water and then wrecked her. All the crew and the passengers were drowned, but a big whale did swallow Sindibad. He remained inside the whale waiting for his moment of death, but for no reason the whale cast him forth on the rocky shore in a state of unconsciousness.
It just so happened that some fishermen had come down to the shore for fishing. They were talking and singing, and at one time as their net was full of fish they shrieked with laughter and their cries awoke the unconscious stranger. He clambered out of the rocks, wondering how to cover his naked body. The men let out squeals when they saw him, but one man called Saber calmly asked him who he was and how he came to be there. Then Sindibad told the good-hearted man his story, though the others were looking strangely at him as they thought that he was a mad one.

The man brought some leafy branches from a close bush and covered Sindibad’s naked, whale-tossed body, then took him to his home and prepared a great meal for him. After few days he accompanied him to the sea shore and taught him fishing skills. Within a short time Sindibad became an admirable fisherman, which arouse the jealousy around him especially from a lazy fishermen like Walid.

One quiet afternoon Sindibad threw his net and sat thinking how to reach the Sea-Maid Isle. Then he felt something heavy struggle in his net. He immediately pulled his net and found a very big creature. He gasped for breath. His mind was wondering what this thing could be. He lifted the net then he realized it was a girl. Then after he uncovered the whole net he saw that it wasn’t a girl. It was a half girl half fish. “Have mercy” the fish said. Sindibad got a terrible shock then he replied “I didn’t mean to hurt you”. Sindibad and the mermaid got along pretty well after these few questions. Then Sindibad told her about his village and the mysterious herbs which are in a far away land called Sea-maid Island. The mermaid said “I think I could give you a hand”. Then she said “I’ll be back in a few minutes” and she disappeared from Sindibad’s sight. Moment’s later the mermaid came back and said to Sindibad, “Ride on my back you will be pleased with this”. At first Sindibad didn’t like the idea of sitting on her back but he had no choice.

Sindibad rode on the mermaid’s back and she cautioned him from falling on the water, “This is a defended area against humans, there are a lot of dangerous sea creatures, and they are ready to kill humans”. She told him that they were killing humans because of the past when humans went too far in fishing and in killing some sea creatures like mermaids and endangered the sea life.
A few hours later she said “We are here. This is the Sea-Maid Isle. Go west for few minutes. You will find the herbs you need on that hill’s slopes, but be careful. You have to cut only the small twigs so no damage will be done to the main branch, otherwise you will arouse the anger of the isle’s creatures. I will be waiting in the water”. Sindibad gave her a hand signal meaning alright and ran quickly towards the hill. The isle was very beautiful looking like a jungle, full of amazing birds and many of rare herbs that heal most of the human diseases. Sad to say, that humans were forbidden to reach it.

He carefully took some of the herb’s twigs and filled his sack. He happily returned where the mermaid was waiting to take him back. After giving him a few priceless pearls she bid him farewell saying, “if you need me just come here and clap three times then I will appear.”
He quickly ran to look for a ship that took him back home. His story of reaching the forbidden isle and bringing the herbs reached Walid’s ears, that jealous fisherman, who quickly went and told the king that Sindibad stole the pearls of the king’s palace. Then the king immediately ordered them to bring Sindibad and sentenced him to the death. But Sindibad told the king that a mermaid gave the pearls to him and helped him to bring the herbs. The king told Sindibad that he wanted to see her in order to let him free. “Alright follow me to the beach your highness”, Sindibad said. He clapped three times the king was wondering what he was doing. After about eight minutes the king got frustrated and said: “Take this fool to the scaffold”. “Wait your majesty, she is coming”, Sindibad said. It was the mermaid.

“Your majesty this man is innocent he only wanted the mysterious herb that will cure the people of his town. Please your highness be kind be fair give him the herb and let him free” the mermaid said. Then the king asked the mermaid to ask the sea creatures for a mercy on behalf of all humans He will order all fishermen not to harm them and go too far in their fishing. Then the mermaid agreed to work for peace and to open the forbidden isle for humans. Also, the king asked the fishermen not to throw their net more than twice a day and just fish the sufficient for their needs. Then to celebrate the peace in the sea, the king prepared a great feast in Sindibad’s honour and ordered a ship to be made ready to take him home. He filled a sea-chest for him with rich gifts – sumptuous robes, a golden cauldron, and a handful of jewels. Then in the early morning the ship carried Sindibad home to his Old Baghdad carrying the herbs with him and looking forward to see Yasmina and Hassan.