0 The Story of King Shahryar and Scheherazade

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PROLOGUE The Story of King Shahryar and Scheherazade It is said that long ago there lived two great kings, brothers named Shahryar and Shahzaman. Shahryar was older, and his power reached the farthest parts of the earth. Shahryar felt a desire to see his brother and asked his vizier, who was the king's chief minister, to go bring his brother to him. When Shahzaman arrived, his brother hugged him. The

two brothers spent the whole day at each other's side, and Shahryar couldn't help notice that his brother looked pale and ill. The days passed, and Shahzaman continued wasting away. Shahryar thought his brother was homesick, but it turned out to be something much worse. After ten days, Shahzaman broke down and told his brother what lay at the root of his sorrows. His wife, the queen, had left him, and he was heartbroken. He told Shahryar the story of how he had been betrayed, and the great king could not believe his ears. After hearing his brother's tale, Shahryar became enraged, so enraged that he lost his senses. He decided that no woman could ever be trusted and planned something terrible. The king summoned his vizier and told him to find him a wife. He intended to wed her for a single day and then kill her. He would continue to do this until all the women in his kingdom were gone. Now, the vizier had an older daughter called

Scheherazade and a younger one called Dinarzad. The older daughter had read many books and was well educated. When she heard of the king's evil plan, she said to her father, "I would like you to marry me to King Shahryar, so that I may either save our people or die like all the rest." When the vizier heard what his daughter said, he was very angry and forbid her to marry the

king. The two argued for a long time, but Scheherazade would not change her mind. So he sent his daughter to be to the king, saying, "May God not take you from me." Scheherazade was very happy and, after preparing herself and packing what she needed, went to her younger sister Dinarzad. "Sister," she said, "listen well to me. When I go to the king, I will send for you, and when you come say, 'Sister, if you are not sleepy, tell a story.' This will cause the king to let me go and will save the people of the kingdom. You must trust this plan." Dinarzad replied, "Very well." That night, the vizier took Scheherazade to the great King Shahryar, and she was wed to him. But when Shahryar went to bed that night, Scheherazade wept. The king asked her why she was crying, and she replied, "I have a sister, and I wish to bid her good-bye." Then the king sent for the sister, who arrived

and sat at the foot of the bed. Dinarzad said, "Sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little tales to pass the night, for I am afraid to be without you." Scheherazade turned to King Shahryar and said, "May I have permission to tell a story?" He replied, "Yes," and Scheherazade was very happy. "Listen," she said.