One Thousand and One Nights - A Collection of Arabic Folktales - World Children's Literature Classics Library for Primary School Students

Author: Deng Ya / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Legend has it that in ancient times, there was an island nation whose king was named Shanruyal. One day, after returning from a hunting trip, Shanruyal discovered that his queen was having fun with musicians in the palace without his knowledge. The king was furious and drew his sword to kill her. From then on, he harbored deep hatred for women and vowed to take revenge on all women in the world. The king adopted a terrible method: he would marry a young and beautiful woman every day and have her killed the next morning, then marry another. The people were terrified and feared that their daughters would marry the king. To escape the danger, some moved to the countryside, while others relocated their families to other provinces. One morning, the prime minister went to find a new bride for the king. However, the prime minister searched the entire city and failed to find a beautiful girl. As night approached, the prime minister was unsure how to report back to the king and returned home worried. The prime minister had two daughters, the older Shanruozade and the younger Dunyazode, both of whom were very beautiful. Shanruozade was well-read, refined, and wise. When Shanruozade learned of her father's predicament, she said to him, "Marriage to the king might save other women from impending misfortune!" With no other choice, the prime minister took his daughters to meet the king. That evening, Shanruozade said to the king, "Respected king, allow me to tell you a story to pass the time!" The king, already struggling to sleep, happily agreed. Shanruozade composed herself and began: "Once upon a time, there was an old man who could understand the language of animals. He had a red donkey and a water buffalo. One day..." The story reached its climax as dawn broke. To hear the story in its entirety, the king had to postpone her execution by a day. From then on, Shanruozade always left the story's ending for the next night. Thus, by the time she reached the "One Thousand and One Nights," the king had fallen deeply in love with the girl. He made Shanruozade his queen, and they lived happily ever after, with the king no longer harboring any thoughts of revenge. P1-P3