151 Tales From Arab World

In Baghdad, a merchant died, leaving a thousand gold coins for each of his three sons. They set up shops as merchants. After a while, the eldest brother was bored and wished to travel. He sold off his shop and its wares and went off to try his fortune. He returned after a year and […]

One day, after a meal, Sindbad told his guests that, wishing to travel again, he bought merchandise and sailed with other merchants, selling their goods at different islands. One day, they arrived at a deserted island thick with fruit-laden trees, springs and streams. While the others explored the island and ate fruits, Sindbad fell asleep

Once upon a time, there was a happy land over which a King ruled with his kind wife. They had a son whom they named Sunshine. Unfortunately, the Queen died and later the King married another lady and had a son whom they named Moonshine. The boys loved each other. But as they grew up,

Long ago, in Persia, there was a place known as the Valley of the Angel of Death. Ghouls lived there. Travellers were terrified of passing through that land because the ghouls would lure them into their caves to rob and kill them. The ghouls were cannibals. No one had seen their real shape but they

There was a poor fisherman who went every day to the sea to catch fish. He had made it a rule to cast his net four times each day, neither less, nor more. He would sell the fish he caught in the village market. One morning, he went as usual to the sea and cast

A few times two thieves came for their treasure but couldn’t find the house at night. Finally, the chief himself went, and he was able to remember the house, even without the chalk-mark. As for punishment, he killed the two thieves who had failed in their duty. That night, he disguised himself as an oil

In Persia, there lived two brothers. Kasim became prosperous, after marrying a rich widow, while Alibaba remained a poor woodcutter, living on the wood he chopped from the forest every day and sold. One day, hearing horses tramping, Alibaba climbed up a tree after hiding his asses. He saw forty thieves taking large bags from

Long ago, Persia was a very peaceful and prosperous kingdom but it was ruled by a very restless and ambitious King named Kaiqus. One day, he heard that the neighbouring kingdom of Mazendaran was beautiful, with mountains, rivers, lush greenery, flowers and birds, and lovely maidens. But it was also inhabited by demons, under the

Outside the shop of a tailor in Kashgar sat a little hunchback, singing and playing a tambourine. The tailor took him home so that his beloved wife, too, might enjoy the music. They invited the little hunchback to share their dinner; his wife served fish. Unluckily, a fishbone stuck in the hunchback’s throat and he

In a farm, a strange man was born with horns and a tail like a cow. He was called Masang. He found a very dark-skinned friend and servant named Iddar, son of the forest. Further on, they were joined by a man with green skin, son of grass, and another with white skin, son of

Two evil, monstrous frogs lived in a marsh and blocked the flow of water into the fields of the kingdom. They would only allow the water to flow if a human being was sacrificed to them every year. Now, the King’s son was to be sacrificed but his best friend offered himself to the frogs.

In a kingdom, there lived six friends: a rich man, a mathematician, a mechanic, a smith, a physician and a painter. They set off to find their fortunes. Reaching a land full of rivers, they each planted a tree. “We will follow one river each to its source and return here. If anyone’s tree is

The story-teller told the ruler the stories of Sidi Kur, the Bakshi and the Younger Chan, the peaceful wanderer. The two Chan brothers lived not far from the house of seven magicians in the far-off land of India. The elder brother became the magicians’ apprentice for seven years, but they wouldn’t teach the secret of