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Enraged, he beheaded them on the spot and made for the estate of his brother, who was away at the time. Returning unexpectedly early, he caught his beloved wife in bed with servants. So, Scheherazade – who is she? Once upon a time, a sultan of a big and powerful empire left his castle to embark on a hunting trip. In an early example of a 'framing device', it is Scheherazade's story and narrative that binds together the rest of the 1001 stories.Īlbert Goodwin (1845–1932) Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery Though Aladdin, as we know the story, is not part of the original 1001 tales, the motifs presented within his story – magical flying carpet, wish-granting genie – are heavily represented in other tales. Some of the most popular tales are familiar across the world, including those of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Aladdin and his lamp. After centuries of these stories being verbal only, storytellers started to compile them, to eventually form what we now know as the One Thousand and One Nights (or, as it's often referred to in English, Arabian Nights).Įven though not entirely thematically suited for young ones, most children brought up in South East Asia and the Middle East are familiar with these stories. Originating from around the Middle East, these are stories passed on through generations – edited, altered and restructured to reflect peoples' dreams and lives, and the culture of each time. Much like the Brothers Grimm stories in Europe, One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of tales told in Asia.