The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01

The pilot changed colour at the relation and throwing his turban on the deck with one hand, and beating his breast with the other, cried, O, sir, we are all lost; not one of us...

For God's sake, gentlemen, do but suppose you had been in my place. What could I say when I felt myself so cruelly tortured? Give him three pieces of gold, said I to the slave t...

Every ten days, says the princess, the genie comes hither to lie with me one night, which he never exceeds; and the excuse he makes for it is, that he is married to another wife...

In this desperate condition I walked out of my lodging, not knowing what course to take, and by chance steered towards the castle, where there was a great crowd of people, to se...

We passed by several islands, and, among others, that called the isle of Bells, about ten days sail from Serendib, with a regular wind, and six from that of Kela, where we lande...

I arrived at my father's capital, the usual place of his residence, where, contrary to custom, I found a great guard at the gate of the palace, who surrounded me as I entered. I...

In the mean time I gathered together a quantity of small wood, brambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a great circle with them round the tree, and tied...

Mean time my son grew up, and was ten years old, when I was obliged to undertake a journey: before I went, I recommended to my wife, of whom I had no mistrust, the slave and her...

When the caliph saw himself that what the executioner said was true, he looked upon me with astonishment; and, perceiving that I had not the face of a highwayman, said to me, Go...

Alnaschar, as long as our father lived, was very lazy; instead of working for his living, he used to go a begging in the evening, and to live upon what he got the next day. Our...

A certain man had a fair wife, whom he loved so dearly that he could scarcely allow her to be out of his sight. One day, being obliged to go abroad about urgent affairs, he came...

This discourse had the effect which the ass designed. The ox was strangely troubled at it, and bellowed out for fear. The merchant, who heard the discourse very attentively, fel...

Among a great many objects that engaged my attention, I perceived a black horse, of the handsomest and best shape that ever was seen. I went nearer the better to observe him, an...

Such an agreeable place struck my brother with admiration, and might well have done so to a man far above his quality. He went on till he came into a hall richly furnished, and...

Go on, go on, cursed spirit! replied Maimoune, go on, and fear nothing. Dost thou think I am as perfidious an elf as thyself, and that I am capable of breaking the serious oath...

When I was grown pretty tall, and beginning to keep company with the world, I happened one Friday to be at noon prayers with my father and my uncles, in the great mosque at Mous...

Safie acquainted her sisters with the matter, who considered for some time what to conclude upon; but, being naturally of a good disposition, and having granted the same favour...

Ebn Thaher was scarcely at his own house, when Schemselnihar's confident arrived with a melancholy countenance, which he reckoned a bad omen. He asked concerning her mistress. T...

Upon this intelligence, the sultan of Casgar sent a hussar to the place of execution. Go, said he to the messenger, make all the haste you can, bring the arraigned persons befor...

Oh! my brother, says the sultan, (in a tone which showed that he had the same sentiments of the matter with the king of Tartary,) what a horrible story do you tell me! How impat...

When Bahader and prince Amgrad were in the court, Bahader demanded of the prince, how the lady came into his house, and why they broke open his door? My lord, replied Amgrad, yo...

When Giendar saw that the two princes were the men who saved his life, he threw himself at their feet, and thanked them for the great obligation he had to them, in words which s...

His wife, who in the mean time was diverting herself with his astonishment, suddenly opened the curtains of her bed; and, bending her head forward, My dear lord, said she, with...

[Advertisement. The readers of the Tales were tired, in the former editions, with the interruption Dinarzade gave them: This defect is now remedied; and they will meet with no m...

I own, my lord, said the grand vizier, dissembling, that there is something in what your highness suspects; but you cannot be ignorant under what necessity a minister is to obey...

Our vessel was speedily surrounded with an infinite number of boats, full of people, who either came to congratulate their friends upon their safe arrival, or to inquire for tho...

She being persuaded that Ebn Thaher spoke to her only out of friendship, did not take amiss what he said to her, but made a right use of it. Then she made a sign to the slave, h...

The jeweller thought his slave's conjecture probable: he entered the house, and saw that the highwaymen had taken all the furniture out of the chamber where he received Schemsel...

In the midst of these pleasures, prince Camaralzaman one night dreamed that he saw his father Schahzaman on death-bed, ready to give up the ghost, and heard him speak thus to hi...

I found the queen lying by me, then, says the king of the Black Islands; I cannot tell you whether she slept or not; but I got up without making any noise, and went to my closet...

The sultan of Egypt was incensed against Schemseddin to the highest degree, and said to him in a passion, which he could not restrain, Is this the way you requite my condescensi...

She then opened her bosom, and, showing her naked breasts, proceeded thus: See, princess, if a woman, and a princesss like yourself, does not deserve to be forgiven; I believe y...

The isle of Serendib[Footnote: Geographers place it on this side of the line, in the first climate.] is situate just under the equinoctial line; so that the days and nights ther...

All these expressions, and particularly the last, increased my love to him extremely. Prince, said I, there is no doubt that Providence hath brought me into your port to present...

I intended, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at Bagdad, as I had the honour to tell you yesterday; but it was not long ere I grew weary of a quiet life. My in...

But, sir, says Scheherazade, having told you what happened to the fisherman, I must acquaint you next with what befel the sultan's cook-maid, whom we shall find in a mighty perp...

The jeweller was somewhat surprised at this resolution of the confident's, and said, Certainly you do not consider that this enterprise is in a manner impossible, for the caliph...

Sir, when the fisherman, vexed to have made such a sorry draught, had mended his nets, which the carcase of the ass had broken in several places, he threw them in a second time;...

They afterwards seized Assad, and bore him away asleep as he was. They got over the wall into their boat, and rowed to the ship. When they came near her, they cried out, Captain...

The day after the death of the youngest, not finding her at table, I asked her eldest sister what was become of her? But she, instead of answering, fell a-crying bitterly, from...

After the princess had done speaking, Marzavan, filled with wonder and astonishment, continued for some time with his eyes fixed on the ground, without speaking a word; but at l...

Your majesty may imagine, a great deal better than I am able to express the astonishment of the caliph at this dreadful spectacle. His surprise was instantly changed into passio...

This done, she retired to the princess of the isle of Ebene's apartment, to whom she communicated her joy, praying her still to keep the secret. She told her how she intended to...

I trust in Heaven, added she, with a shower of tears, no harm has happened to them since our separation; and I do not doubt that the prince's concern is equal to mine. The jewel...

At this discourse, which the jeweller accommodated to the subject, that he might come the better to his design, the prince of Persia changed colour, and looked so as made the je...

Schemseddin rose very early next morning, and goes to the palace to attend the sultan, who went to hunt about Cairo, near the pyramids. As for Noureddin, he was very uneasy all...

The caliph Haroun Alraschid was very well satisfied with these strange stories, and declared publicly his astonishment at what he had heard. Having satisfied his curiosity, he t...

They thought my story so extraordinary, that they made me repeat it after supper, and this gave occasion to discourses which lasted a good part of the night. One of the gentleme...

I gave him repeated assurances of a punctual performance of whatever should be enjoined me. Then, said he, in the evening you must be at the mosque built by the caliph's lady on...

In the mean time the prince of Persia, unwilling to let such an opportunity pass to show his good-breeding and courtly temper, beat up the cushion of gold cloth for the lady to...

To Divert the sultan from the execution of a bloody vow he had made to marry a Lady every day, and have her cut off next morning, to avenge himself of the disloyalty of his firs...

The widow of Noureddin Ali heard this proposal with pleasure, and from that very minute ordered preparations to be made for her departure. In the mean time Schemseddin desired a...

To complete his misfortune, as he went by the house of a justice of peace, he would needs know the cause of the tumult. The curriers told him, that they saw him come out in that...

Schemseddin returned to his daughter's chamber more astonished than before. Well then, my abused daughter, said he, can you give me no further light into this matter? Sir, said...

One day, after council, the king of Balsora diverted himself with his two viziers, and some other members of the council. They fell into discourse about the women-slaves, who wi...