Life, 1917-01-18 · page 30 of 40
Life — January 18, 1917 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a parody of the classic Arabian Nights tale "Sinbad the Navigator," reimagined as a satirical attack on New York City and American culture. The story presents New York ("Nuuyork") as an exotic, dangerous land inhabited by primitive, ape-like creatures who worship a false god called "Kash" (likely "Cash"—money). The protagonist encounters aggressive taxi drivers ("Tacksee!") and is taken to a luxurious palace (a hotel), where he's attacked by a small red demon with a brush who steals his gold coins while beating him. The satire mocks New York's materialism, chaos, aggressive commerce, and perceived cultural depravity by presenting them through the lens of fantastical Oriental exoticism. The "demon of the brush" appears to represent a bellhop or porter—service workers depicted as thieves exploiting travelers. This reflects early 20th-century American anxieties about urban greed and corruption disguised by superficial hospitality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
110 The Story of Inbad the Navigator NOW, O masters, that I am of the city of Bostan, the Abode of Peace; I, and my fathers before me. There I enjoyed a most comfortable life and the most pure happiness, until it occurred to my mind one day to travel to the lands of other people and the abodes of other persons. I resolved upon the affair and took from my money a large sum. Then I went to the waterside and found a handsome vessel, superfluously equipped. So I embarked in it, and that day set sail. The voyage was pleasant, and we ceased not to pass from sea to sea un- til the sixth day, when the master of the ship fell as one in a fit, and tore his beard and beat his breast. He made revolutions in the air, bit the mast of the boat, swooned thrice, and said harshly, “Oh, my grief!” And we bade him acquaint us with the cause of his outcry, and he answered us, say- ing, “O ye passengers, whom Allah preserve, we have bursted our rudder and have come upon an evil place!” And we looked and saw that it was as he had said. Before us was an is- land, the like of which we had never before seen. Great mountains of stone buildings rose from the water’s edge, and in the narrow valleys between these mountains numberless ape-like creatures hurried here and there, push- ing and tumbling like mad things. And we looked and wondered. “ Thi aid the master, “is the city of Nuuyork. The inhabitants are idolators and worship a great god called Kash.” By this time we had landed, and the people of the place had surrounded us. Some there were who drove great cars, and pushed forward at us, shouting in their strange tongue, “ Tacksee! Tack- see!” I was seized from behind and thrown into one of these cars, which “flew through the air with terrible jolt- ings and twistings. I swooned from fright, and when I recovered my senses I was being borne through the portals of a wondrous, glittering palace, fit for the abode of a Sultan. While I stood La a Eas ad. S==. ZS irae ees “Inbad flees from the demon of the brush” in amazement and admiration, one seized my turban, another my cloak, and I was conducted to a room of white marble, where streams of pure water tinkled into porcelain basins. And there they left me. And I thanked Allah (whose name be exalt- ed!), and I said, “Surely this thing is not so bad as it appeared at first to bel” and I proceeded to lave my face and my hands in the sweet, cool water. Suddenly a cold hand was thrust be- neath my neckband, and a kard object struck me violently in the small of the back, and I looked over my shoulder, and I saw that I was in the grasp of a small demon all of red, who beat me from head to foot with a little brush. His wheezy breath whistled in my ear, and he muttered to himself, “ Thanku- sir! Thankusir!” I was in the predicament of the mad, and calling on Allah (whose name be exalted!) I cast him from me and ran from the room. He pursued me di- rectly and threw himself upon me. I tried to shake him off, but he wrapped his bright red legs about me and beat me harder than before. With one hand he beat me, while with the other he loosed a purse of gold that I carried in say girdle. In the struggle the purse opened and a small gold piece rolled out. I seized it and with all my strength I dashed it at him and (Continued on page 118) comicbooks.com