Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part B

Arabian Nights

- "'Fear nothing,' Aladdin said to her; 'you are my wife, promised to me by your unjust father, and no harm shall come to you.'

The princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the most miserable night of her life, while Aladdin lay down beside her and slept soundly."  

*This is kind of disturbing!*

- "The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next morning, on the princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut off her head." 

*This presents an interesting dynamic for me wherein a father treats his daughter like another subject and not like family. It's a very dramatic and intense response to something so simple.*

- "The people, indeed, looked so threatening that the Sultan gave way and ordered Aladdin to be unbound, and pardoned him in the sight of the crowd."

 *It feels like a kind of flipped script to have the crowd love Aladdin instead of wishing for his death.*

- "He travelled to China to avenge his brother's death, and went to visit a pious woman called Fatima, thinking she might be of use to him. He entered her cell and clapped a dagger to her breast, telling her to rise and do his bidding on pain of death. He changed clothes with her, coloured his face like hers, put on her veil and murdered her, that she might tell no tales." 

*How ruthless! I like it*

- "After this the princess could think of nothing but a roc's egg, and when Aladdin returned from hunting he found her in a very ill humour. He begged to know what was amiss, and she told him that all her pleasure in the hall was spoilt for the want of a roc's egg hanging from the dome." 

*I kind of like the pettiness of the princess in this quote. She's unashamed of how material she's being.*

Genie's Lamp (Source: Needpix.com)

Bibliography: Arabian Nights by various authors. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook.