Classics Retold

The following night Shahrazad said: Kasim's wife was uneasy.  Her husband did not return.  Alarmed, she ran to Ali Baba. "Brother-in-law," she said, "You know, Kasim has gone to the forest, and upon what account; it is now night, and he has not returned; I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him." After midnight Ali Baba departed to the forest with his three asses.  When he came near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor his mules in his way, was alarmed at finding some blood split near the door, which he took for an ill-omen; but when he pronounced the words, and she door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of his brother's body.  He went into the cave, however, to find something to enshroud the remains; and having loaded one of his asses with them, covered them over with wood.  The other two asses he loaded with gold, covering them also with wood; then bidding the door shut came away.  When he came home, he drove two as...

The following night Shahrazad said: When Ali Baba got his home, he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the gates carefully, threw off the wood, carried the bags into his house, and ranged them in order before his wife.  He then emptied the bags which raised such a heap of gold as dazzled his wife's eyes.  He told her the whole adventure from beginning to end, and recommended to keep it a secret.  The wife rejoiced greatly at their good fortune and began to count all the pieces one by one.  "Wife," said Ali Baba, you do not know what you are doing, you pretend to count the money, a job you have never done in your life.  I will dig a hole and bury it.  There is no time to be lost." "You are right, husband," replied she, but let us know as soon as possible how much we have.  I will borrow a small measure and measure it while you dig the hole." The wife ran to their brother-in-law Kasim, who lived hard by and addressing his wife asked to lend a measur...

The title "One Thousand and One" the the alternative to Arabian Nights is a metaphor.  Alfa Layla wa Layla is not to be taken literally. 1001 is symbolic representation of a vast number.  A hyperbole to emphasize large volume of stories.  The addition of one gives it a poetic touch, implying something even more than complete. A story that never ends.  So it is metaphor for infinity, continuity, or the eternal act of storytelling. Shahrazad use it to keep away death by never concluding.  It has an Indian parallel in Panchatantra and Kadhasaritsagara.  The latter claims itself to be a part of a greater collection of seven hundred thousand stories, the idea of an inexhaustible treasury of tales. The Sanskrit number Sahasra is a poetic exaggeration - a way to say innumerable or countless.  So, the Indian model also presents the structural idea of stories that never end.  A pastime to keep the listeners engaged forever.  When these stories reached...

The following night Shahrazad said: The town of Persia. There lived two brothers. One was Kasim. The other was Ali Baba. Their father divided a small inheritance equally between them.  Kasim married a rich girl. He became a wealthy merchant. Ali Baba married a poor girl, as poor as himself. He became a wood cutter. He would go to thick forest, find out old and decayed tree, cut it and  bring the logs on the back of asses to the market for sale.  One day, in the forest, Ali Baba had been cutting the wood and loading the logs on the back of his asses.  He saw at a distance, a great cloud of dust approaching him.  He observed it with attention, and discerned a body of horsemen. He thought them as robbers.  In order to save himself, he left the asses and his axe, climbed upon a tree and sat on a branch, concealed by twigs and leaves so that he could well observe the movement of the horsemen, and at the same time hide his presence.  There were forty horseme...

The following night Shahrazad said: Sindbad the sailor continued his story: After my last voyage I had decided that I should no more embark upon a voyage.  In my advanced years I appreciate a quiet life, and I no more want to take risk of untoward incidents.  However, one day I had an unexpected visitor. When I spent my time among my friends, I was told that an officer of Caliph wished to talk to me.  When he was admitted to my presence he bade me to follow him to the presence of Caliph Harun-al-Rashid, which I accordingly did, and saluted the Caliph.  The Caliph said, "I have sent for you to assign you a special task.  You are to bear a letter and a gift to the king of Serendib in return for his message of friendship." It fell on me like a thunderbolt.  I was not in a mood to undertake a long and hazardous travel leaving the evening company of my friends. "Commander of the Faithful," I replied, "I am ready to do all that your Majesty commands, but I humbly...

After having met with shipwreck three times, fortune again coveted me to embark upon a new journey, regardless of the entreaties of my friends and relations, who did all they could to keep me home.  Instead of going by the Persian Gulf, this time, I travelled a considerable way over land and embarked upon from a distant Indian port with a captain who meant to make a long voyage. We fell in with a stormy weather which drove us completely out of our course, so that for many days neither captain nor pilot new where we were, or where to the ship was taking us.  When they did at last discover our position we had small ground for rejoicing; the captain casting his turban upon the deck and tearing his beard, declared that we were in the most dangerous spot upon the whole wide sea, and had been caught by a current which was at that moment sweeping us to destruction.  It was too true!  In spite of all that the sailors could do we were driven with frightful rapidity towards th...

Alley and Ally are close in spelling and pronounciation. Alley is a narrow lane between or behind buildings.  An alley is too narrow to be a street.  It is often used as a pedestrian walkway or a corridor. These are often made by people walking over a period of time.  It may be in a garden or around a garden or park boarded by hedges. And once an alley is allowed for over a certain period it cannot be stopped. The word alley is derived from Old French word alee, which means corridor or passage. An ally is a person or organisation that works in conjunction with another person or organisation. The plural of ally is allies. In the Second World War, the confederation of nations working to defeat Germany Japan and Italy were known as Allied forces.    Causeways are ways along the bank of a river, stream, or between the paddy fields, or accross the paddy fields. They serve as walkway and preserve water in the field.  The first causeway in my village to connect wi...