Stories of Arabian Nights -
One thousand one Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights (Stories of 1001 Nights)
'Arabian Nights' is a collection of
popular stories that originated from the Middle East. The actual author of these
tales is not known. This translation is based on repeated American translations,
but the heart and meaning of each of the stories remains firmly intact. This
translation in particular is highly similar to the Andrew Lang translation of
1918. The main frame story of 'Arabian
Nights' concerns a Persian king and his new bride. The king, Shahryar, upon
discovering his former wife's infidelity has her executed and then declares all
women to be unfaithful. He begins to marry a succession of virgins only to
execute each one the next morning. Eventually the vizier cannot find any more
virgins. Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter, offers herself as the next bride
and her father reluctantly agrees. On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade
tells the king a tale, but does not end it. The king is thus forced to keep her
alive in order to hear the conclusion. The next night, as soon as she finishes
the tale, she begins (and only begins) another. So it goes for 1,001 nights.
Now read the stories by clicking on the links below:
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