Young Writers Society

The story goes that Sharahazhad told one tale a night to the Sultan, to prolong a condemned man's life. Each night she told him a tale, if he liked it, he would not kill her lover that night. After 1001 and one nights (a little under 3 years if you do the math) the Sultan decided to spare the man's life.
EDIT: upon further research- I've also seen it that she is trying to save her own life. Either way- every night she would end the story in an intensely suspensful situation, forcing the Sultan to keep her alive another night.
(no, there aren't 1001 of these stories)

Has anyone else read these/ and/or heard about them? Aladdin and the wonderful lamp (basis for the Disney movie, Aladdin, go fig.) is the longest of these stories. 40,000 words, not all of which are easily understandable.
A link to the original translation of these stories, with little else as filler:http://mfx.dasburo.com/an/a_index_commented.html

If you haven't, give them a read. They're intriguing, if nothing else.

Dude, are there people who haven't heard of this? I worry.

Arabian Nights is a marvelous piece of storytelling. Highly recommended.

Online here.

Great stories. The funny thing, I always thought the Sheherezad was a man, but then again, my arabic sucks. I know like, four phrases.

You're not the only one. I though she was too. I think its a combination of sounding kind of like a guy name to western ears(in that it doesn't sound explicitly feminine), and the long standing standard that important characters are men.

I love Arabian Nights. I've read most of them and have been told others from my parents since I was a kid.

*Glee* I collect antique books, and I found an... gosh... 1863 edition, I believe, give or take a decade. It's gorgeous; perfect shape, beautiful illuminations... it's like my bibliophilic bible.