INTRODUCTION

ome of the stories presented in this book go back to ancient times; others may have arisen in medieval times. Most appeared in collections during the Middle Ages; others were first written down only at the beginning of the 18th century by a European translator of the earlier collections. Probably all, however, were part of folklore of the area extending from North Africa to South Asia—including Mesopotamian, Persian, and Indian cultures, as well as later medieval Muslim cultures of Egypt and Syria. As such, these stories offer an entrance to the sensibilities of that wide area in those varying times.

The society we find in these stories consists of many poor, undereducated people, scrambling to stay within the good graces of a wealthy upper class that holds the power. Wealth, however, does not seem to be strictly random. Instead, those who work hard and are clever enough to seize opportunities can rise from poverty to luxury as merchants or even become viziers, princes, and kings. Self-reliance and resourcefulness are prized qualities.

The supernatural beings that inhabit these stories are also a mixed bag of beneficent and maleficent. Woe to the human who just happens to offend a jinni by accident; mercy is a rare find. (Please note that the Arabic word jinni is used in this book, with the plural form jinn, and the feminine form jinniya. Often in English it is spelled genie, which is the more common transliteration of the Arabic spelling.) But a rapid assessment of a situation—particularly of the psychological needs of the one in power—and careful, appropriate action can lead to the mere human prevailing over the magical creature so that disaster is avoided. And generally, those who are loyal and faithful fare better than those who are not.

Finally, there is an abiding interest in exploration and invention. Adventurers go from country to country, risking their lives in order to see the world. New machines are treasured. There is nothing complacent or provincial in these stories. Rather, there is a hunger for the unknown and a desire to be part of something larger.

In these ways, the values and beliefs reflected in the stories feel optimistic—to my way of thinking, more so than those found in ancient or medieval Greek, Norse, Celtic, or ancient Egyptian mythology. There is a strong sense that good behavior will lead to good results and that the world is basically a lot more delightful than it is frightful.

A remarkable aspect of these particular tales is the structure of how they are told. There is an overall framework in which a wife, Scheherazade, is telling stories to her husband each night. But in the stories she tells, there is often a character who tells a story. And sometimes we find another story within that embedded story—stories within stories within stories within the overarching story. Now, certainly, the current form of the framework of Scheherazade was not there in the original oral folktales. But even having three layers of storytelling within the individual oral tales is a lot to keep track of—it is as complex to the ear as Persian miniature paintings, for example, are to the eye. This storytelling tradition puts an emphasis on careful listening and mental jockeying. The listener is rewarded frequently by gifts to the ear—songs and poems—as well as gifts to the spirit: characters who make us laugh, love stories that hold us entranced, fantastical creatures and devices that amaze us. For the people of the times when the stories were first told, historical details shed light on events they might have heard about.

Each night’s tale stands on its own merit. But I have worked to present them within the framework of a growing relationship between wife and husband. The tales themselves are often cliffhangers that leave us wondering what will happen next. But the most important cliffhanger is whether or not Scheherazade succeeds in getting her husband to grant her another day of life—for in the beginning, he has vowed to have her put to death after their first night together. This innocent girl is subject to the whims of a man so deeply wounded his ego wobbles with every step. Scheherazade uses all her storytelling skills, ingenuity, and artistic creativity to craft stories that make her husband’s heart beat faster. But she also selects stories with an eye toward developing a sense of trust and, eventually, mercy built on that trust. This helps her husband to move beyond his injury to the strength and hope that allow him to experience profound love. Scheherazade wins not through trickery, but through understanding human nature, and through faith in her own abilities and in the transformative power of storytelling. She dares to fathom the meaning of life with every bit of intelligence she has. As a result, she embodies the spirit of the times and places of the tales she spins.

Welcome to that spirit.

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