ley.

"I had quite given up all hope of escape, for there was no possible
way of climbing out of the valley, but as I watched the eagles carry
off the lumps of raw meat, I thought of a plan, and hope revived.

"First of all I searched around, and filled all my pockets with the
biggest diamonds I could find. Then I chose out the largest piece of
meat and fastened myself securely to it, with the rope made out of my
turban. I knew that the eagles would soon come for more food, so I lay
flat on the ground, with the meat uppermost, and holding on tightly, I
waited for what would happen next. I had not long to wait before a
gigantic eagle came swooping down. It seized the meat and carried it
and me swiftly up, until it reached its nest high among the mountain
rocks. And no sooner had it dropped me into the nest, than a man
climbed out from behind the rock, and with loud cries frightened the
eagle away. Then this man, who was the merchant to whom the nest
belonged, came eagerly to look for his piece of meat. When he saw me,
he started back in surprise and anger.

"'What doest thou here?' he asked roughly. 'How dost thou dare to try
and steal my diamonds?'

"'Have patience,' I answered calmly, 'I am no thief, and when thou
hast heard my story thou wilt pity and not blame me. As for diamonds,
I have some here which will more than make up to thee for thy
disappointment.'

"Then I told him and the other merchants all my adventures, and they
cast up their eyes to heaven in surprise at my courage, and the
wonderful manner in which I had managed to escape so many dangers.
Pulling out a handful of diamonds, I then passed the precious stones
round among them, and they all declared them to be the finest they had
ever seen.

"'Thou shalt choose one, to make up for thy disappointment,' I said to
the merchant who had found me.

"'I will choose this small one,' he replied, picking out one of the
least of the glistening heap.

"I urged him to take a larger one, but he only shook his head.

"'This one will bring me all the wealth I can desire,' he said, 'and I
need no longer risk my life seeking for more.'

"Then we all set off for the nearest port, where we found a ship ready
to carry us home. We had many adventures on the way, but at last we
reached our journey's end, and when I had sold my diamonds, I had so
much money that I gave a great deal to the poor, and lived in even
greater splendor than before."

Here Sindbad paused