The Arabian Nights

by Andrew Lang

The stories in the Fairy Books have generally been such as old women in country places tell to their grandchildren.

Or husbands

meeting lions who talk in the warm countries, or talking bears in the cold countries.

We do have many similar themes

The stories were translated from French into all languages, and only Bishop Atterbury complained that the tales were not likely to be true, and had no moral. The bishop was presently banished for being on the side of Prince Charlie’s father, and had leisure to repent of being so solemn.

Dont yuck my yum

In this book “The Arabian Nights” are translated from the French version of Monsieur Galland, who dropped out the poetry and a great deal of what the Arabian authors thought funny, though it seems wearisome to us. In this book the stories are shortened here and there, and omissions are made of pieces only suitable for Arabs and old gentlemen. The translations are by the writers of the tales in the Fairy Books, and the pictures are by Mr. Ford.

This has some stories but expect them watered down

after several years, that she had deceived him completely, and her whole conduct turned out to have been so bad, that he felt himself obliged to carry out the law of the land, and order the grand-vizir to put her to death.

This is all we get?

The blow was so heavy that his mind almost gave way, and he declared that he was quite sure that at bottom all women were as wicked as the Sultana, if you could only find them out, and that the fewer the world contained the better. So every evening he married a fresh wife and had her strangled the following morning before the grand-vizir, whose duty it was to provide these unhappy brides for the Sultan.

And sexism

genius,

Took me so long to understand this. But now i know why you don't anger spirits

While they were talking another old man came up, followed by two black dogs. He greeted them, and asked what they were doing in this place. The old man who was leading the hind told him the adventure of the merchant and the genius.

So a deer and 2 hounds. This will be interesting

I am going to tell you my story and that of the hind I have with me, and if you find it more marvellous than that of the merchant whom you are about to kill, I hope that you will do away with a third part of his punishment?”

Enter inception

they are your two brothers. I have condemned them to remain for ten years in these shapes.”

So that is where Children of the Lamp got this idea!!!

So he told his story to the genius, but I cannot tell you what it was, as I do not know.

Now that is cheap

During the first period of my captivity I vowed that if anyone should free me before a hundred years were passed, I would make him rich even after his death. But that century passed, and no one freed me. In the second century I vowed that I would give all the treasures in the world to my deliverer; but he never came. “In the third, I promised to make him a king, to be always near him, and to grant him three wishes every day; but that century passed away as the other two had done, and I remained in the same plight. At last I grew angry at being captive for so long, and I vowed that if anyone would release me I would kill him at once, and would only allow him to choose in what manner he should die.

All the Children of the Lamp nostalgia. Benfits of reading a source material.

Now the king had a grand-vizir who was avaricious, and envious, and a very bad man. He grew extremely jealous of the physician, and determined to bring about his ruin.

Hi Jafar. How have you been?

“This vizir,” he replied, “told King Sindbad that one ought not believe everything that a mother-in-law says, and told him this story.”

and now we are 3 deep

The Story of the Vizir Who Was Punished

Good lord these titles

Imma do to Ateca?”

Was this a story that was cut out?

The fish of four colours which are in it are the different races who lived in the town;

Oh canibalism

The queen at once went out and took a cup of water, and said over it some words that made it boil as if it were on the fire. Then she threw it over the prince, who at once regained his own form.

So boiling water and poetry ends all enchantments

And after telling some stories to prove his point,

Why are these not included!!!

“Whoso meddles in affairs that are no business of his, will hear truths that will not please him.”

So basically you dont want to know

He was soon joined here by the black cat of which the voice had spoken, who came as usual to say good-morning to his master. He took him on his knee and seized the opportunity to pull seven white hairs out of his tail, and put them on one side till they were needed.

Poor cat

“you see that this Sultan was not content with merely forgiving the envious man for the attempt on his life; he heaped rewards and riches upon him.”

Laying it on too thick

As soon as the monarch saw my writing he did not so much as look at the samples of the merchants, but desired his officials to take the finest and most richly caparisoned horse in his stables, together with the most magnificent dress they could procure, and to put it on the person who had written those lines, and bring him to court. The officials began to laugh when they heard the Sultan’s command, but as soon as they could speak they said, “Deign, your highness, to excuse our mirth, but those lines were not written by a man but by a monkey.” “A monkey!” exclaimed the Sultan. “Yes, sire,” answered the officials. “They were written by a monkey in our presence.”

I can see it all and i love it

“But how do you know this, my daughter?” asked he. “Sire,” replied Queen of Beauty, “the old lady who took care of me in my childhood was an accomplished magician, and she taught me seventy rules of her art, by means of which I could, in the twinkling of an eye, transplant your capital into the middle of the ocean.

Who doesn't know magic here

“there are many out-of-the-way things it is as well to know, but one should never boast of them.”

A humble attitude and it lets you hide some power

will teach you how to give me so much trouble,” said the lion, and opening his huge mouth he advanced to swallow her. But the princess expected something of the sort and was on her guard. She bounded on one side, and seizing one of the hairs of his mane repeated two or three words over it. In an instant it became a sword, and with a sharp blow she cut the lion’s body into two pieces. These pieces vanished no one knew where, and only the lion’s head remained, which was at once changed into a scorpion. Quick as thought the princess assumed the form of a serpent and gave battle to the scorpion, who, finding he was getting the worst of it, turned himself into an eagle and took flight. But in a moment the serpent had become an eagle more powerful still, who soared up in the air and after him, and then we lost sight of them both.

She is so badass

Black Mountain. This mountain is composed of adamant, which attracts to itself all the iron and nails in your ship;

The Wrath and the Dawn

“do not imagine that I am so unjust as to blame you. On the contrary, I understand your situation and can pity you. Only you appear to be mistaken about me, and I wish to set you right. You doubtless imagine that I have acquired all the wealth and luxury that you see me enjoy without difficulty or danger,

This would be true in most situations and honestly should be true for him but it is kind that he sees the difference

I had inherited considerable wealth from my parents, and being young and foolish I at first squandered it recklessly upon every kind of pleasure, but presently, finding that riches speedily take to themselves wings if managed as badly as I was managing mine,

See he really could have had riches from an easy life

embarked upon the same vessel and traded so successfully upon our homeward voyage that I arrived in Balsora with about one hundred thousand sequins.

1000 of those is enough for a good merchant trip so he was stupid rich

gave largely to the poor, and bought much land to add to what I already possessed, and thus ended my third voyage. When Sindbad had finished his story he gave another hundred sequins to Hindbad,

I suppose i apriciate how he always gives some of his insane wealth too the poor

As we drew near their black inhabitants swarmed out in great numbers and surrounded us, and we were led to their houses, and as it were divided among our captors.

So is this racism original or european?

I reached the seashore and saw a party of white men gathering pepper, which grew abundantly all about. Reassured by the nature of their occupation, I advanced towards them and they greeted me in Arabic,

Feels british

Being assured of this I returned to the cavern, and amassed a rich treasure of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and jewels of all kinds which strewed the ground.

This translation is very kind avoiding how he is a grave robber

Luckily for me they believed my story, and without even looking at the place where they found me, took up my bundles, and rowed me back to the ship.

Yes because you are a murderous grave robber

then I wished heartily that I had stayed at home at ease.

When wil he learn?

The executioner speedily untied the knots which confined the doctor, and was passing the cord round the neck of the tailor,

I will bet they were not nearly as tight given how they could expect to undo it.

“I don’t like to contradict a lady,” said Danhasch, “but you must really permit me to doubt any mortal being as beautiful as my princess.” “Hold your tongue,” cried Maimoune. “I repeat that is possible.” “Well, I don’t wish to seem obstinate,” replied Danhasch; “the best plan to test the truth of what I say will be for you to let me take you to see the princess for yourself.” “There is no need for that,” retorted Maimoune; “we can satisfy ourselves in another way. Bring your princess here and lay her down beside my prince. We can then compare them at leisure, and decide which is in the right.”

When an argument about favorite characters turns into mutual shipping

So saying he drew off a fine ring which the princess wore on her finger, and replaced it by one of his own. After which he lay down again and was soon fast asleep.

So robbery?

“Prince, I am now an old man, and unfortunately I have no son to whom to leave my kingdom. It has pleased Heaven to give me only one daughter, who possesses such great beauty and charm that I could only give her to a prince as highly born and as accomplished as yourself. Instead, therefore, of returning to your own country, take my daughter and my crown and stay with us. I shall feel that I have a worthy successor, and shall cheerfully retire from the fatigues of government.”

You know I wondered if they were gay at the start. But if the princess is bi or pan she could get a nice diverse harem out of this

All things considered, she decided to accept, and after a few moments’ silence said with a blush, which the king attributed to modesty:

She realy is getting bi despite her first husband leaving her too chase a bird

King Armanos, delighted with the success of his plans, lost no time in assembling his court and council, to whom he presented his successor, and placing his future son-in-law on the throne made everyone do homage and take oaths of allegiance to the new king.

Her fortune seems to be improving without the talismen

It is clear that these riches are intended for you, and they are much more needed by a prince like yourself than by an old man like me, who am near my end and require nothing.

Yes the prince with a kingdom needs gold more than an old farmer

The two queens lived in true sisterly harmony together, and after a time each presented King Camaralzaman with a son, whose births were celebrated throughout the kingdom with the utmost rejoicing.

This is how it ends? They never go to his father again?

The princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the most miserable night of her life, while Aladdin lay down beside her and slept soundly.

No sword between them? Also why is there a demand for proper courtship now?

“Princess,” he said, “blame your beauty for my boldness if I have displeased you.”

So bassically he is baming all of this on her being too beautiful? Too similar to our rape culture for my liking

the envious vizir meanwhile hinting that it was the work of enchantment.

Really? It takes this long to wonder if an instant palace with metric tons of gems is magic?

The Caliph ordered the Cadi to learn how to deal out justice from the mouth of a child, and sent the boy home, with a purse containing a hundred pieces of gold as a mark of his favour.

What can you say. Sometimes children are wiser than adults

and how she had been forced to play the part of a mad woman in order to escape from a marriage with the Sultan, who had not had sufficient politeness even to ask her consent.

Seriously none of them ever do

The Story of Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister

Now that is a title