Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights, or The Thousand and One Nights, a very celebrated collection of tales of great antiquity, although as we know them at present they probably do not date back farther than the middle of the fifteenth century. The collection was first introduced into Europe by Galland, who made a translation into French, published in 1704. There is one connecting story in the Arabian Nights which forms the thread which binds the whole together. A Persian monarch had made a vow that he would marry a fresh bride each day and execute her the following morning. The daughter of his grand vizier obtained permission to become the king's wife and succeeded in abolishing the custom in the following manner: at daybreak she commenced telling to her sister, who slept in her room, a story, and broke off at a very interesting point. The king deferred her execution for a day in order that he might hear the conclusion of the tale, and this occurred from day to day for one thousand nights, when the king allowed her to live.