Favorite Tales from the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, Paperback

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``The Arabian Nights is more generally loved than Shakespeare,`` wrote Robert Louis Stevenson. ``No human face or voice greets us amongthis] crowd of kings and genies, sorcerers and beggar men. Adventure on the most naked terms, furnishes forth the entertainment and is found enough.``The best-known versions of these ancient Middle Eastern tales are those translated by the Victorian English explorer and writer, Richard F. Burton. Arabic in origin, they are also known as A Thousand and One Nights -- a collection of fairy tales, romances, legends, and exotic adventures told by Scheherazade to entertain her husband, the king, who customarily executed his wives after a single night. Scheherazade cleverly began a story each night but withheld the ending until the following evening, thereby managing to stave off disaster. This original selection includes six of the most famous tales. ``Sinbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman`` is the story of a merchant who survives seven perilous voyages and acquires great wealth; ``Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp`` relates the remarkable adventures of a ``graceless`` youth and his miraculous lamp; ``Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves`` is the exciting narrative of a poor woodcutter who gains access to great treasures by entering a secret cave. Also here are ``The Fisherman and the Jinni,`` ``Judar and His Brethren,`` and ``Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad.``These enchanting tales have captured the imaginations of readers for generations. Their magical world, teeming with giants, magnificent palaces, and beautiful princesses will thrill new audiences.