Because hundreds of years ago a cruel Sultan of the Indies whimsically decided to marry a new wife every day and have her strangled the next morning, we have him to thank for one of the most fascinating collections of stories in all the world's literature.

When Shahriar, the Sultan, married Scheherazade, however, he did not know that she was as clever as she was beautiful. She decided to stop his reign of terror by telling him such wonderful stories that he would want to have her near him always. Shahriar was so enchanted with Scheherazade's first tale that he begged her to continue and delayed her execution. For a thousand and one nights, the beautiful Sultana entertained her husband with the thrilling stories of Sinbad, Ali Baba and Aladdin and other tales of romance and magic which form this book.

And what happened to Scheherazade when her tales were ended? The Sultan was so delighted that he decided to mend his ways and together they lived happily ever after. And the lucky child who reads this book will be as fortunate as the most powerful Sultan of all the Indies.

From the dust jacket of the Illustrated Junior Library edition (same text as the Rene Bull edition)