had been very friendly to me
on the way, took me ashore with him and showed me a lodging set apart
for strange merchants. He then provided me with a large sack, and
pointed out to me a party of others equipped in like manner.

"Go with them," said he, "and do as they do, but beware of losing sight
of them, for if you strayed your life would be in danger."

With that he supplied me with provisions, and bade me farewell, and I
set out with my new companions. I soon learnt that the object of our
expedition was to fill our sacks with cocoa-nuts, but when at length I
saw the trees and noted their immense height and the slippery smoothness
of their slender trunks, I did not at all understand how we were to do
it. The crowns of the cocoa-palms were all alive with monkeys, big and
little, which skipped from one to the other with surprising agility,
seeming to be curious about us and disturbed at our appearance, and I
was at first surprised when my companions after collecting stones began
to throw them at the lively creatures, which seemed to me quite
harmless. But very soon I saw the reason of it and joined them heartily,
for the monkeys, annoyed and wishing to pay us back in our own coin,
began to tear the nuts from the trees and cast them at us with angry and
spiteful gestures, so that after very little labor our sacks were filled
with the fruit which we could not otherwise have obtained.

As soon as we had as many as we could carry we went back to the town,
where my friend bought my share and advised me to continue the same
occupation until I had earned money enough to carry me to my own
country. This I did, and before long had amassed a considerable sum.
Just then I heard that there was a trading ship ready to sail, and
taking leave of my friend I went on board, carrying with me a goodly
store of cocoanuts; and we sailed first to the islands where pepper
grows, then to Comari where the best aloes-wood is found, and where men
drink no wine by an unalterable law. Here I exchanged my nuts for pepper
and good aloes-wood, and went a-fishing for pearls with some of the
other merchants, and my divers were so lucky that very soon I had an
immense number, and those very large and perfect. With all these
treasures I came joyfully back to Bagdad, where I disposed of them for
large sums of money, of which I did not fail as before to give the tenth
part to the poor, and after that I rested from my labors and comforted
myself with all