The Arabian Nights: One Thousand and One Nights Summary

The Arabian Nights is a collection of tales from the Islamic Golden Age, compiled by various authors over many
hundreds of years.
Though each collection features different stories, they are all centered around the frame story of the
sultan Shahrayar and his wife, Scheherazade. After finding out that his first wife is unfaithful, Shahrayar kills
her and swears to marry a different woman each night before killing her the following morning to prevent
further betrayal. Scheherazade, his vizier's daughter, concocts a plan to end this pattern. She marries
Shahrayar, and then begins to tell him a story that night. However, she stops the story in the middle, so that
he will be excited to hear the rest the following night. The next evening, she finishes that story and then
begins another, following the same pattern for 1,001 nights, until Shahrayar has a change of heart. The stories
she tells comprise the collection.

"Aladdin's Lamp" tells of a peasant boy who is tricked by an evil magician into retrieving a magic genie lamp
from a cave. However, Aladdin outsmarts him, keeping the lamp for himself. Through the genie's power,
Aladdin grows rich and marries the sultan's daughter. When the magician steals the lamp back, Aladdin and his
wife thwart and kill the villain. The magician's brother then attempts to avenge the dead man, but is equally
defeated, so that Aladdin lives happily ever after.

In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," hardworking Ali Baba stumbles upon a thieves' hideout full of treasure,
protected by a magic entry. When Ali Baba accidentally reveals the secret to his richer brother Cassim, Cassim
gets trapped in the hideout, and killed by the thieves. The villains then try to track down and kill Ali Baba, but
their plans are consistently thwarted by the quick-witted slave Morgiana.

In "The Three Apples," a fisherman finds a chest in the ocean containing a woman's body. Both her father and
her husband try to take the blame, but the caliph discerns that the husband had killed her, believing her
unfaithful. He had brought her three rare apples when she was sick, then got mad when he saw a slave with
one of the apples, claiming he had received the fruit from his girlfriend. Believing the slave, he killed the
woman. He then learned that his son had actually given the apple to the slave, who then lied to stir up trouble.
The ruler's vizier Ja'far ascertains that his own slave is the culprit, and the caliph pardons everyone.

"The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor" are told by a famous sailor to an impoverished porter, to explain
the trials and tribulations that the sailor suffered at sea. Over the course of his seven voyages, Sinbad faced:
various shipwrecks; strange beasts such as giant eagles, rocs, and giants; malicious figures such as the Old Man
of the Sea; and many other obstacles. Even though he dealt with danger on every voyage, Sinbad continued to
sail, lured by the thrill and excitement of the sea. Finally, after seven voyages, he decided to settle down with
his wealth.

"The Fisherman and the Jinni" tells the story of a fisherman whose nets retrieve a yellow jar from the sea. He
opens it to release a dangerous genie, who has been trapped for hundreds of years and had decided to kill the
man who rescues him. The fisherman tricks the genie into returning to the jar, and then tells him the story of
"The Vizier and the Sage Duban," detailed below. After the story, the genie promises to reward the fisherman,
and indeed shows him a magic lake full of strange fish. The fisherman sells the fish to the sultan, who explores
the area of the lake to meet a sad prince who had been turned half to stone. He helps the prince, and then
rewards everyone involved.

In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban," a wise healer named Duban heals King Yunan's leprosy, but Yunan's vizier
convinces the king that Duban is out to kill him. Yunan has Duban executed on that suspicion, and Duban gifts
him a magic book before he dies. After the wise man is beheaded, the king flips through the book, and then
dies himself from a poison that Duban has left on its pages.

Finally, "The Three Princes and the Princes Nouronnihar" details the journeys of three brother princes who
each wants to marry their cousin Nouronnihar. Their father, the Grand Sultan, promises that whichever
brother finds the most valuable item will win the woman's hand. They each find amazing items - a magic
carpet that transports its owner, a tube that shows whatever the viewer wishes, and an apple that heals
anyone. When the brothers learn that Nouronnihar is ill, they pool the items and manage to save her life.
The Arabian Nights: One Thousand and One Nights Character List
Shahrayar
In "The Frame Story," he rules over the kingdom of India and begins the practice of marrying wives and killing
them the next morning until Scheherazade begins to tell him stories every night. Brother to Shahzaman.
Shahzaman
In "The Frame Story," he rules over the kingdom of Samarkand and reveals to his brother Shahrayar that his
wife is cheating on him.
Scheherazade
Scheherazade is the primary storyteller of The Arabian Nights, according to "The Frame Story." The daughter
of Shahrayar's vizier, she marries the king and tells him stories every night to keep him from killing her or any
more of his wives. She is renowned for both her talent and beauty.
Dinarzad
In "The Frame Story," she is Scheherazade's younger sister who asks for the stories that then keep
Scheherazade alive.
Aladdin
The title character of "Aladdin's Lamp," he is a poor street child who becomes rich after fooling a magician and
procuring a genie's lamp. He eventually marries the sultan's daughter.
the sultan
In "Aladdin's Lamp," this sultan grants Aladdin his daughter's hand after the boy conjures up so much wealth
via the genie. He later threatens Aladdin when the magician steals the castle and princess.
the beautiful princess
In "Aladdin's Lamp," the title character marries her after impressing the sultan with his wealth. Though
kidnapped by the magician, she is eventually rescued.
the magician
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he tricks Aladdin into fetching the magic lamp for him, but Aladdin tricks him in return
and takes it for himself. He is killed when he later tries to steal it back, inspiring his brother to then seek
revenge.
the magician's brother
In "Aladdin's Lamp," this villain is even more vengeful than his brother. After the magician's death, he
disguises himself as a well-known holy woman in order to get into Aladdin's palace.
Ali Baba
The title character of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he discovers the secret treasure cave of the forty
thieves, which makes an enemy of the thief captain. Brother to Cassim, and later owner of Morgiana.
Cassim
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he is Aladdin's brother. He greedily enters the cave after learning of it
from Ali Baba, but is caught by the thieves and then killed.
Captain of the Thieves
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he leads the band of criminals, and tries several times to murder Ali Baba
after the man finds their hiding place. He is eventually outsmarted by Morgiana.
Morgiana
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," she is Cassim's slave who is later transferred to Ali Baba after her master's
death. The cleverest character in the story, she is responsible for foiling the Thief Captain's plan.
Baba Mustapha
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he is the cobbler whom Morgiana blindfolds when trying to hide the truth
of Cassim's death. The thieves later use him to find Ali Baba's house.
Caliph Harun al-Rashid
The ruler in many of the Arabian Nights stories. In "The Three Apples," he demands Ja'far find the woman's
killer, and later pardons the young man. In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," Sinbad brings him gifts
from the King of Serendip, and the caliph later reciprocates.
Ja'far
In "The Three Apples," he is Caliph Harun al-Rashid's vizier. He solves the mystery at the threat of execution.
the young husband
In "The Three Apples," he kills his wife, mistakenly believing she was unfaithful. He is later pardoned after
asking to be killed for his crime.
the old father
In "The Three Apples," he is the father of the young woman who was murdered. He lies to protect his son-in-
law, but the young husband ultimately proves his own guilt.
Ja'far's slave
In "The Three Apples," he receives one of the rare apples and then lies about it, thereby leading to the
woman's murder. He is spared at Ja'far's behest.
the impoverished porter
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this poor man stumbles upon the sailor Sinbad, and hears one of
his stories each night of the week, before receiving money from the wealthy sailor. (In some versions of The
Arabian Nights, he is known as Hindbad.)
Sinbad
A wealthy sailor who has gone on seven voyages as a merchant and faced many trials and tribulations until he
finally chose to settle down with his riches.
King Mihrage
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," he is king of the first island on which Sinbad is shipwrecked, and
shows him great hospitality.
the cannibal giant
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this creature wreaks havoc on Sinbad's third voyage, eating much
of the crew before Sinbad comes up with an escape plan.
Old Man of the Sea
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this villainous, enchanted creature latches onto Sinbad's back in
his fifth journey, forcing the sailor to carry him around to fruitful trees, in the process draining the sailor's
energy. Sinbad has to get the old man drunk to free himself.
King of Serendib
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this generous ruler welcomes Sinbad to his island on the sixth
journey, and then sends him back with gifts for the caliph.
Sinbad's merchant master
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," he buys Sinbad as slave after a shipwreck on the seventh voyage,
and uses him to kill elephants for ivory. When Sinbad finds the elephant graveyard, the master is happy
enough to set the sailor free.
chief merchant's daughter
In the alternate version of the seventh voyage of "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," she marries Sinbad
and later returns home with him from the land of the bird-people.
the old fisherman
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this poor man releases a genie from a yellow pot, and then must outsmart
the spirit to save his life. He also tells the story of "The Vizier and the Sage Duban."
Duban
In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban, this wise sage heals King Yunan's leprosy, but is killed when King Yunan's
vizier plots against him.
King Yunan
In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban," this ruler is cured of his leprosy by the wise man Duban, but then executes
the doctor after being fooled by his vizier.
King Yunan's vizier
In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban," this evil, unsightly man plots against Duban, and causes trouble for both
the wise man and Yunan himself.
Hussein
Hussein is the oldest of the three princes in "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar". He purchases a
magic carpet that can transport him wherever he chooses.
Ali
Ali is the middle of the three princes in "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar." He purchases an
ivory tube that can show the user anything he wishes.
Ahmed
Ahmed is the youngest of the princes in "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar." He purchases an
enchanted artificial apple that can heal even the worst sickness with one sniff.
The Great Sultan of India
In "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar," he devises the competition for his sons (the princes) to
take, and ultimately lauds them for working together. Father to Hussein, Ali, and Ahmed; uncle to
Nouronnihar.
Nouronnihar
In "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar," she is niece to the Great Sultan, and cousin to the three
princes who compete for her hand.
Shahrayar's vizier
In "The Frame Story," he is Shahrayar's advocate sent to Samarkand to invite Shahzaman to visit India.
the demon
In "The Frame Story," he traps a beautiful woman, who then sleeps around as much as possible to scorn him.
His misfortune encourages Shahrayar and Shahzaman on their quest to find someone more miserable than
they are.
the demon's woman
In "The Frame Story," this woman is trapped in a glass chest by a demon, but sleeps around as much as
possible (including with Shahrayar and Shahzaman) to scorn the demon.
the young man's wife
In "The Three Apples," she was falsely accused of infidelity by Ja'far's slave, and was murdered because of it.
Sinbad's captain
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," several captains accidentally leave Sinbad behind, usually to
come across him later apologetically.
the horsegroom
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this man serves King Mihrage and brings Sinbad to the king after
the sailor helps him save a drowning mare.
the giant's mate
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this creature throws rocks at the fleeing crew after they kill the
cannibal giant, leaving only a few of the men alive.
the wealthy king
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this ruler offers Sinbad a beautiful wife on his fourth voyage, not
revealing that the sailor has to be buried alive with the woman after she dies according to local custom.
Sinbad's island wife
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," Sinbad marries this woman on his fourth voyage, only to then
discover he must be buried alive with her according to local custom.
Cassim's wife
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," she lends Ali Baba's wife a rigged scale and thereby learns the secret of
their wealth.
Ali Baba's wife
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," she desires to weigh the gold Ali Baba steals, so borrows a scale from
Cassim's wife, which the latter woman rigs to discover their secret.
Ali Baba's son
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he is fooled by the Captain of the Thieves into inviting the villain to dinner
at Ali Baba's house.
Aladdin's mother
The title character's mother in "Aladdin's Lamp," she supports his almost-fatal trip with the magician, and later
helps Aladdin carry out his plan to marry the sultan's daughter.
the sultan's greedy vizier
In "Aladdin's Lamp," this man convinces the sultan to postpone the princess's marriage to Aladdin so his own
son can woo her. He succeeds, but Aladdin then manages to break up the marriage.
the curious sultan
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this ruler is intrigued by the mystery of the colorful fish and investigates to
discover and free the sad prince.
the vizier's son
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he marries the beautiful princess thanks to his father's scheming, but then loses his
marriage because of Aladdin's magic.
the ring jinn
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he is the spirit conjured by the magician's ring, and less powerful than the lamp jinn.
the lamp jinn
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he is the spirit conjured by the lamp Aladdin steals for the magician, and is more powerful
than the ring jinn.
the hairy men
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," these hairy, two-feet tall savages steal the ship on which Sinbad is
serving, leaving the crew stranded on the island with the cannibal giant.
the naked savages
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," these men drug Sinbad's crew on his fourth journey, all in
anticipation of eating them. Sinbad refuses to take their drugs.
the bird-people
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," these people welcome Sinbad to their community in the alternate
version of the final voyage, but prove to be demons whom he must escape.
the pot jinni
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this spirit is released by the old fisherman after having been trapped inside a
yellow jar by King Solomon of the Jinns for hundreds of years. Though he initially wishes to punish the
fisherman, he is outsmarted and ultimately grants him a boon.
the sad prince
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this prince had been turned half-way to stone, but is released through the
help of the curious sultan.