The Arabian Nights Entertainments
THE INTRODUCTION The _Arabian Nights_ was introduced to Europe in a French translation by Antoine Galland in 1704, and rapidly attained a unique popularity. There are even accounts of the translator being roused from sleep by bands of young men under his windows in Paris, importuning him to tell them another story. The learned world at first refused to believe that M. Galland had not invented the tales. But he had really discovered an Arabic manuscript from sixteenth-century Egypt, and had consulted Oriental story-tellers. In spite of inaccuracies and loss of color, his twelve volumes long remained classic in France, and formed the basis of our popular translations. A more accurate version, corrected from the Arabic, with a style admirably direct, easy, and simple, was published by Dr. Jonathan Scott in 1811. This is the text of the present edition. The Moslems delight in stories, but are generally ashamed to show a
COPYRIGHT
1920 BY
THE PENN
PUBLISHING
COMPANY
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. A Major and Two Minors 7
II. Stuffed Birds 33
III. A Wolf in the Forest 61
IV. Rain and Randy's Soul 88
V. Little Sister 108
VI. Georgie-Porgie 127
VII. Mademoiselle Midas 147
VIII. Ancestors 161
IX. "T. Branch" 181
X. A Gentleman's Lie 214
XI. Wanted--a Pedestal 245
THE INTRODUCTION The _Arabian Nights_ was introduced to Europe in a French translation by Antoine Galland in 1704, and rapidly attained a unique popularity. There are even accounts of the translator being roused from sleep by bands of young men under his windows in Paris, importuning him to tell them another story. The learned world at first refused to believe that M. Galland had not invented the tales. But he had really discovered an Arabic manuscript from sixteenth-century Egypt, and had consulted Oriental story-tellers. In spite of inaccuracies and loss of color, his twelve volumes long remained classic in France, and formed the basis of our popular translations. A more accurate version, corrected from the Arabic, with a style admirably direct, easy, and simple, was published by Dr. Jonathan Scott in 1811. This is the text of the present edition. The Moslems delight in stories, but are generally ashamed to show a