The Voyages of Sindbad (48)

The Voyages of Sindbad (48)
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  One day I passed a tree under which lay several dry gourds, and catching one up I amused myself for a time with scooping out its contents and pressing into it the juice of several bunches of grapes which hung from every bush.

  When the gourd was full I felt it propped in the fork of a tree, and a few days later, carrying the hateful old man that way, I snatched at my gourd as I passed it and enjoyed a draught of excellent wine so good and refreshing that I even forgot my detestable burden, and began to sing and caper.

  The old man was not slow to perceive the effort which my drink had produced and that I carried him more lightly tha usual, so he stretched his skinny hand and seized the gourd first tasted its contents cautiously, then drained them to the very last drop.

  The wine was strong and the gourd large, so he also began to sing after a fashion, and soon I had the delight of feeling the iron grip of his goblin legs unclasp, and with one vigorous effort I threw him to the ground, fro which he never moved again.

(48/50)