One Thousand and One Nights - Illustrated Short Stories

Author: Arabic folk tales / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: To save the life of his daughter, the common people either hid or fled abroad with their daughters. As a result, the young unmarried women of Sasanistan hid or fled, making it increasingly difficult for King Sanuya to find a suitable wife. However, despite the difficulty, King Sanuya still insisted on his old habit: marrying a new wife every day and killing one every day. One day, King Sanuya, as usual, ordered his minister to go out and find young women for him to marry. The minister searched the entire city but did not see a single suitable girl. Unable to complete the task assigned by King Sanuya, the minister knew that returning to report would likely be a matter of life or death, possibly even execution. He returned home worried. The minister's eldest daughter, Shanzhude, saw her father looking troubled and asked, "Father! What is making you so upset?" After learning the reason for her father's distress, Shanzhude said to him, "Dear father, please let me marry the king. You must not die!" The minister could not bear to send his precious daughter into the lion's den. He shook his head and said, "No! Even if I am beheaded, I will not let you marry the king. You should leave this place of trouble with your sister as soon as possible." Shanzhude comforted her father, saying, "Father, please rest assured. I will have a way to deal with the king." With her daughter's persistent insistence, the minister had no choice but to take her to meet King Sanuya. Before leaving, Shanzhude instructed her younger sister Duniazode, "After I enter the palace, I will immediately send someone to pick you up. When you see me, be sure to ask me to tell you an interesting story. Do you understand?" King Sanuya was delighted to meet the beautiful Shanzhude, but Shanzhude kept crying. P3-7