The Arabian Nights

The Arabian Nights" is a magnificent collection of ancient tales told by the sultana Scheherazade, who relates them as entertainment for her jealous and murderous husband, hoping to keep him amused and herself alive. The main frame story concerns a king and his new bride. The king, Shahryar, upon discovering his ex-wife’s infidelity executes her and then declares all women to be unfaithful. He begins to marry a succession of virgins only to execute each one the next morning. Scheherazade agrees to marry him and each night, beginning on the night of their marriage, she tells the king a tale but does not end it so that the king keeps her alive in order to hear the next tale.