Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights, or The Thousand and One Nights, collection of ancient Persian, Indian, and Arabian folktales, written in Arabic and arranged in its present form during the early 16th century. The stories, which include the tales of Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad the Sailor, are linked by a framing story about Scheherazade. She marries a king who executes his wives on the second day of their marriage. Each night, she tells him part of a story but leaves the ending for the next night. The king must spare her for another day if he is to learn the ending. By the 1,001st night, the king has learned to love his wife, and Scheherazade is spared.

See also: Burton, Sir Richard Francis.