The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Volume III

In Short

This volume of the classic Middle Eastern frame-story collection gathers a rich array of fables, tragic romances, urban trickery, and courtly anecdotes told by Shehrzad to delay her execution. Beginning with animal parables that preach prudence over greed, the text shifts to sweeping narratives of passion, mistaken identity, and political intrigue across medieval Islamic lands. It captures a world where an evening’s mistake brings death or unexpected fortune, where lovers pine to the point of swooning, and where rulers listen to the stories of commoners. Its enduring magic lies in its unfailing narrative momentum and vivid human vitality.

The Story

The narrative opens as King Shehriyar requests tales of birds and beasts from Shehrzad. She obliges with a cascade of brief fables where foxes, wolves, crows, and falcons matching wits reveal how cunning outmatches brute strength and how unchecked covetousness leads directly to destruction.

From these animal parables, the collection moves into high human drama with the tragedy of Ali ben Bekkar and Shemsennehar. Ali, a noble youth, falls into a desperate, agonizing love with Shemsennehar, the favored favorite of the Khalif. Guided by a sympathetic jeweller and a faithful handmaid, the two manage brief, illicit meetings, but the constant threat of discovery by the Khalif’s guards breaks their health. Suspense turns to tragedy as the sheer burden of separation and secret passion leads both lovers to faint and die of grief, leaving their friends to mourn at their twin tombs.

Next comes the intricate romance of Kemerezzeman and Budour. Spurned by their respective parents for refusing marriage, the handsome prince and the beautiful princess are brought together by competing spirits while asleep. Waking briefly, each falls madly in love with the other before being separated by magic. Kemerezzeman wanders into foreign lands, taking work as a humble gardener’s assistant in a city of Magians to survive. Meanwhile, confusion spreads through royal courts as accusations of infidelity and betrayal drive desperate parents to build houses of lamentation for sons falsely accused by scheming queens. Through trials involving perilous voyages, captive princes, and sea-battles, the family eventually uncovers the truth of the false letters, reuniting after years of grief.

The collection then branches into shorter tales of adventure, generosity, and urban cleverness. In the tale of Nimeh and Num, a young man infiltrates the royal palace to rescue his stolen slave-girl, finding unexpected mercy from the Khalif’s sister. Another lengthy tale follows Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat, who leaves home with a merchant caravan, survives the predatory attentions of a deceitful merchant, and eventually rises to become the Provost of the merchants in Baghdad. His son Aslan, raised in ignorance of his true lineage, grows into a formidable cavalier who proves his nobility on the tilting-ground.

Interspersed throughout the volume are historical anecdotes and city legends. Rulers like Maan ben Zaïdeh encounter desert damsels who praise his habit of tipping arrows with pure gold so the wounded may buy medicine. Other tales explore subterranean caverns containing the golden tombs of ancient kings, lost cities like Many-Columned Irem, and the hilarious roguary of Baghdad street-thieves, ending with tricksters competing to outwit one another before the town judge.

How It Unfolds

The beasts exchange counsel Shehrzad begins her storytelling with animal fables, illustrating how a fox avoids a hidden vineyard trap while luring a greedy wolf into it.

Love strikes in secret Ali ben Bekkar and the Khalif’s favourite, Shemsennehar, fall into a devastating passion, relying on a jeweller friend to hide them from the court.

The tragic parting Overcome by fear of discovery and the torment of separation, both Shemsennehar and Ali ben Bekkar waste away and perish of broken hearts.

The nocturnal visit Supernatural spirits place Prince Kemerezzeman and Princess Budour beside each other while asleep, igniting a mutual devotion that spans continents.

Exile in the garden Separated from his love, Kemerezzeman works in disguise as a gardener’s assistant, watering trees while waiting for a ship to Muslim lands.

The house of lamentations A king discovers letters proving his sons were falsely accused of treason by jealous queens, leading him to build tombs to weep over his error.

A dangerous rescue Nimeh sneaks into the royal quarters to find his beloved Num, gaining the protection of the princess when their devotion is revealed.

The caravan to Baghdad Young Alaeddin sets out on a trading venture, dodging treacherous companions before gaining favor with the Khalif and receiving a robe of honor.

A hero comes of age Alaeddin’s son Aslan grows up under the care of the Police Chief, proving his skill in the tilting-ground and uncovering his true parentage.

Wits in the city streets The volume concludes with anecdotes of desert kings, lost underground cities, and Baghdad rogues outwitting one another for purses of gold.

The People

• Shehrzad: The master storyteller whose endless stock of tales keeps the king entertained and holds her execution at bay night after night.
• Ali ben Bekkar: A noble young lover whose consuming passion for the Khalif’s favorite completely overwhelms his physical health and will to live.
• Shemsennehar: The beautiful, high-ranking court favorite who risks her position and life for her secret devotion to Ali ben Bekkar.
• Kemerezzeman: A prince of exceptional beauty who refuses an arranged marriage, only to endure years of hardship and labor as a gardener after being separated from his destined bride.
• Budour: A princess of equal grace and determination who suffers accusations of madness while searching relentlessly for the youth who exchanged rings with her in the night.
• Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat: A naive merchant’s son who learns to navigate the perils of travel, deceitful mentors, and court politics to earn a seat in the Divan.
• Aslan: Alaeddin’s brave and spirited son, who learns martial arts from a young age and earns honor on the tilting-ground without knowing his true origins.

In Its Own Voice

"Prudence is the half of cleverness."

The fox reminds himself to examine a suspicious breach in the vineyard wall before rushing in after tempting fruit.

"Lo, the Compassionate hath made no fairer thing to see Than when one couch in its embrace enfoldeth lovers twain..."

A poet celebrates the rare, sublime joy of true lovers resting together in safety away from envious eyes.

"My youth hath escaped me; 'tis lost in the dust, And I bend me to seek it, where'er it may be."

An old man walking doubled over answers a curious passerby who questions his stooped, weary posture.

What It's Really About

Beneath its colorful magic and urban adventures, this volume examines the fragile balance between human desire and the erratic turns of fate. It poses hard questions about trust, prudence, and the cost of passion. The fables frame life as a constant struggle between animal cunning and blind greed, where a single foolish impulse brings ruin. In the romantic narratives, love is portrayed not as a light pleasantry, but as an overwhelming force that tests honor, disrupts social hierarchies, and can physically consume those it touches. Rulers and commoners alike face sudden loss, false accusations, and exile, suggesting that power offers no protection against the caprice of fortune. Throughout, the text praises virtue, hospitality, and patience, showing that survival depends on endurance, practical wisdom, and faith.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to folklore, historic literature, and expansive frame-stories will find this volume deeply satisfying. John Payne’s Victorian translation captures the grand, elevated cadence of the original Arabic, weaving naturally between descriptive prose and lyrical verse. The reading experience feels like stepping into a dense, bustling marketplace of ideas, where high court tragedy sits right alongside earthy animal fables and street-level trickery.

The volume requires some patience from modern readers. The prose utilizes archaic vocabulary, elaborate formal greetings, and poetic interludes that slow the narrative pace down considerably. Furthermore, modern audiences must navigate period attitudes regarding social status, gender roles, and harsh justice that reflect the historical origins of the text. Yet despite these distance markers, the book remains thoroughly engaging. The emotional honesty of its lovers, the sharp humor of its rogues, and the endless inventiveness of its plots leave a lasting impression of a world vibrant with life.