Having invited his brother, Schahzeman, to pay a royal visit, Schahriar finds his fraternal guest sadly out of humour. The cause of Schahzeman's ailment is his wife's infidelity, which he has remedied by smiting her and her lover. His mood improves when he discovers that Schahriar is being similarly duped, that faithless spouses are commonplace; but explaining his miraculous recovery leads his brother to take drastic action regarding the occupants of the royal bed. To ensure his consorts' chastity, Schahriar has each new bride executed on the morning after the nuptials. Eventually, the stock of eligible females is depleted, leaving Wazir -- the supplier of fresh maidenhood -- in despair. Wazir's daughter, Scheherazade, volunteers herself to the task, armed with nothing but the countless tales she has collected over many years. The stories, always left tantalizingly unfinished at dawn, ensure her safety and that of all the virgins of the kingdom. The Arabian Nights tales, including the adventures of Sindbad and Aladdin, are full of wonder and exotic charm, transporting readers to distant lands that have become part of out imaginative landscape. These are the stories lauded by Robert Louis Stevenson as "more generally loved than Shakespeare"; a collection "that captivates in childhood and still delights in age". -- from publisher.

Preface -- The Arabian nights -- The story of the merchant and the genius -- The story of the first old man and of the hind -- The story of the second old man, and of the two black dogs -- The story of the fisherman -- The story of the Greek king and the Physician Douban -- The story of the husband and the parrot -- The story of the Vizir who was punished -- The story of the young king of the Black Isles -- The story of the three calenders, sons of kings, and of five ladies of Bagdad -- The story of the first calender, son of a king -- The story of the second calender, son of a king -- The story of the envious man and him who was envied -- The story of the third calender, son of a king -- The seven voyages of Sindbad the sailor -- The little hunchback -- The story of the barber's fifth brother -- the story of the barber's sixth brother -- The adventures of Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura -- Noureddin and the fair Persian -- Aladdin and the wonderful lamp -- The adventures of Haroun-al-Raschid, Caliph of Bagdad -- The story of the blind Baba-Abdalla -- The story of Sidi-Nouman -- The story of Ali Colia, merchant of Bagdad -- The enchanted horse -- The story of two sisters who were jealous of their younger sister.