The legend of the Tales' creation is that they were originally told by Shahrazad, wife of Shahriyar, king of India and China. Shariyar was convinced that he was fated to be betrayed by his wife, so made it a custom to marry a young girl every day and put her to death the next morning. Shahrazad thwarted this custom by telling a new story every night, leaving a cliff-hanger before retiring to bed. In this way, Shahriyar was kept in suspense, needing to keep her alive to hear the rest of each story. At the end of the 1,001st night, Shahriyar realized that he loved and trusted Sharazad, and they remained together for the rest of their lives.
Here are 30 tales, translated from the original Arabic. Included are the famous stories of Aladdin, Sindbad the Sailor, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, along with many less well-known, some humorous and some horrifying. The stories are full of rich descriptions which will allow the reader to experience the culture of historical Arabia.
Date read: 9/29/2011
ISBN-10: 0385123655
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