Penguin Classics The Arabian Nights Tales of 1001 Nights Volume 3

For three long years, a vengeful King Shahriyar has enacted a grim ritual, bedding a different virgin each night only to execute her come morning. The cycle of brutality seems unending until a courageous soul, Shahrazad, the daughter of the vizier, steps forward to break this deadly pattern.

To spare herself and countless others from the king's wrath, Shahrazad weaves a tapestry of captivating tales. Each night, she enchants King Shahriyar with stories of adventure, love, opulence, and enchantment—narratives of far-off lands populated by valiant princes, curious hunchbacks, the ethereal Angel of Death, and mystical spirits. Her tales take us on journeys with Sindbad, reveal Ali Baba's clever exploits against a notorious band of forty thieves, and recount the entrapment of jinnis within rings and lamps.

This remarkable sequence of stories stretches across a span of 1,001 nights, serving not only to captivate the king but also to underscore the transformative power of storytelling. Shahrazad's narrative artistry becomes a lifeline, promising to alter the destiny of her world and the course of her own life.