They are a series of stories told by Sindbad, a merchant of Baghdad, about seven fantastic journeys he has made. In the course of them he suffers many disasters from which he always makes a miraculous escape, often using great ingenuity and cunning. He encounters giant birds, huge serpents, cannibals and other monsters; he is buried alive and he is sold into slavery. Despite his many misfortunes he always manages to amass a fortune and return home a rich man.