Remarkable escape!

 

Sham S.Misri

Arion was a famous singer. He had acquired huge wealth. One day he had to go to a neighbouring country to perform a show. To reach there he had to go by a ship. He boarded a ship, and sailed in the sea. While on the ship the sailors found that he had plenty of wealth with him. They decided to rob and murder him. First they seized his gold and silver, and then told him that he might either kill himself or jump overboard into the sea. If he would kill himself on board the ship, they would give him decent burial when they reached the shore.

Arion, the singer, was at a loss. He had to decide whether to get killed on board or jump into the sea. After having thought for a while, he told the sailors that he would throw himself into the sea. The sailors agreed. Arion was sad. He thought that he had to die. He had passion to sing. He told them that before his death he wanted to sing his last song. For this, he asked their permission. He wanted to sing them one of his melodious songs before he took the fatal plunge. They consented. He went into the cabin, and dressed himself magnificently in the grand and richly-ornamented robes in which he had been accustomed to appear upon the stage. After dressing himself, he reappeared, and took his position on the side of the ship. He had a musical instrument in his hand.  When he had finished his song performance, he leaped into the sea. When the sailors saw him dive into the sea, they divided their plunder and pursued their voyage.

Arion, however, instead of being drowned, was taken up by a dolphin that had been charmed by his song. He was borne by the dolphin that followed the ship up to the destination. There Arion landed in safety. From there he proceeded to the king. He was wearing the same dress in which he had plunged into the sea. On his arrival, he complained to the king of the crime which the sailors had committed, and narrated his wonderful escape. The king did not believe him, but put him in prison to wait until the sailors would be called. The king summoned the sailors into his presence. He asked them if they knew anything of Arion, the famous singer. Arion himself had been previously placed in an adjoining room, ready to be called in as soon as his presence was required. The sailors answered to the question which the king put to them. They said that they had seen Arion but they had left him there. Arion was then himself called in. His sudden appearance, clothed as he was in the same dress in which the sailors had seen him leap into the sea, so terrified the conscience-stricken criminals, that they confessed their guilt, and were all punished by the king.

A marble statue, representing a man seated upon a dolphin, was erected in his name to commemorate this event, where it remained for centuries afterward, a monument of the wonder which Arion had achieved.