Prologue

Prologue


Once, long ago, a sultan discovered that his wife was unfaithful. He was enraged and told his vizier to have her beheaded. When this was done he made a vow that no woman would ever betray him again. Knowing he could not forswear women altogether, he decided that whenever he married in the future, he would deflower his wife on their wedding night and then have her slain the following morning.

Now it is written that this practice continued for some time and it came to pass one day that the vizier discovered that the supply of virgins had run out and there were no more left in the city. Afraid of the Sultan's wrath he wrung his hands and prayed loudly for Allah's deliverance.

Now the Vizier had two daughters, Scheherazad and Dunazad. As he lamented in the garden Scheherazad came and inquired about what troubled him. Her father then related his dilemma. When he finished she said,

"By Allah, we must end this perversity. I want you to marry me to King Shahryar and I will find a way to make it stop."

The Vizier was shocked, and at first refused to consider the idea, but his daughter was adamant, and said

" . . . If you try and stop me I will go to the King myself. I will say that I want to marry him but my father refuses because he believes the king is not good enough to take my hand."

Her father, growing weary of argument and unable to dissuade her, went to king Shahryar, telling him of the dispute and his intention to bring Scheherazad to him. The king was astonished and reminded his trusted advisor that there were no exceptions to his marriage policy.

To this the Vizier replied, " . . . I leave it in your hands.."

So the Sultan said, "So be it."

When Scheherazad heard the news she took a deep breath and said to her younger sister, Dunazad..

"After the king takes me tonight, I will send for you. When you enter the pavilion, come over to the bed and say...Oh sister, since you're not sleepy tell me some new delightful story to entertain us . . . "