Shahrayar

In "The Frame Story," he rules over the kingdom of India and begins the practice of
marrying wives and killing them the next morning until Scheherazade begins to tell him
stories every night. Brother to Shahzaman.
Shahzaman
In "The Frame Story," he rules over the kingdom of Samarkand and reveals to his brother
Shahrayar that his wife is cheating on him.
Scheherazade
Scheherazade is the primary storyteller of The Arabian Nights, according to "The
Frame Story." The daughter of Shahrayar's vizier, she marries the king and tells him stories
every night to keep him from killing her or any more of his wives. She is renowned for both
her talent and beauty.
Dinarzad
In "The Frame Story," she is Scheherazade's younger sister who asks for the stories that
then keep Scheherazade alive.
Aladdin
The title character of "Aladdin's Lamp," he is a poor street child who becomes rich after
fooling a magician and procuring a genie's lamp. He eventually marries the sultan's
daughter.
the sultan
In "Aladdin's Lamp," this sultan grants Aladdin his daughter's hand after the boy conjures
up so much wealth via the genie. He later threatens Aladdin when the magician steals the
castle and princess.
the beautiful princess
In "Aladdin's Lamp," the title character marries her after impressing the sultan with his
wealth. Though kidnapped by the magician, she is eventually rescued.
the magician
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he tricks Aladdin into fetching the magic lamp for him, but Aladdin
tricks him in return and takes it for himself. He is killed when he later tries to steal it back,
inspiring his brother to then seek revenge.
the magician's brother
In "Aladdin's Lamp," this villain is even more vengeful than his brother. After the
magician's death, he disguises himself as a well-known holy woman in order to get into
Aladdin's palace.
Ali Baba
The title character of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he discovers the secret treasure
cave of the forty thieves, which makes an enemy of the thief captain. Brother to Cassim, and
later owner of Morgiana.
Cassim
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he is Aladdin's brother. He greedily enters the cave
after learning of it from Ali Baba, but is caught by the thieves and then killed.
Captain of the Thieves
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he leads the band of criminals, and tries several times
to murder Ali Baba after the man finds their hiding place. He is eventually outsmarted by
Morgiana.
Morgiana
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," she is Cassim's slave who is later transferred to Ali
Baba after her master's death. The cleverest character in the story, she is responsible for
foiling the Thief Captain's plan.
Baba Mustapha
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he is the cobbler whom Morgiana blindfolds when
trying to hide the truth of Cassim's death. The thieves later use him to find Ali Baba's house.
Caliph Harun al-Rashid
The ruler in many of the Arabian Nights stories. In "The Three Apples," he demands
Ja'far find the woman's killer, and later pardons the young man. In "The Seven Voyages of
Sinbad the Sailor," Sinbad brings him gifts from the King of Serendip, and the caliph later
reciprocates.
Ja'far
In "The Three Apples," he is Caliph Harun al-Rashid's vizier. He solves the mystery at the
threat of execution.
the young husband
In "The Three Apples," he kills his wife, mistakenly believing she was unfaithful. He is later
pardoned after asking to be killed for his crime.
the old father
In "The Three Apples," he is the father of the young woman who was murdered. He lies to
protect his son-in-law, but the young husband ultimately proves his own guilt.
Ja'far's slave
In "The Three Apples," he receives one of the rare apples and then lies about it, thereby
leading to the woman's murder. He is spared at Ja'far's behest.
the impoverished porter
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this poor man stumbles upon the sailor
Sinbad, and hears one of his stories each night of the week, before receiving money from
the wealthy sailor. (In some versions of The Arabian Nights, he is known as Hindbad.)
Sinbad
A wealthy sailor who has gone on seven voyages as a merchant and faced many trials and
tribulations until he finally chose to settle down with his riches.
King Mihrage
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," he is king of the first island on which Sinbad is
shipwrecked, and shows him great hospitality.
the cannibal giant
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this creature wreaks havoc on Sinbad's third
voyage, eating much of the crew before Sinbad comes up with an escape plan.
Old Man of the Sea
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this villainous, enchanted creature latches
onto Sinbad's back in his fifth journey, forcing the sailor to carry him around to fruitful
trees, in the process draining the sailor's energy. Sinbad has to get the old man drunk to
free himself.
King of Serendib
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this generous ruler welcomes Sinbad to his
island on the sixth journey, and then sends him back with gifts for the caliph.
Sinbad's merchant master
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," he buys Sinbad as slave after a shipwreck on
the seventh voyage, and uses him to kill elephants for ivory. When Sinbad finds the
elephant graveyard, the master is happy enough to set the sailor free.
chief merchant's daughter
In the alternate version of the seventh voyage of "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor,"
she marries Sinbad and later returns home with him from the land of the bird-people.
the old fisherman
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this poor man releases a genie from a yellow pot, and
then must outsmart the spirit to save his life. He also tells the story of "The Vizier and the
Sage Duban."
Duban
In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban, this wise sage heals King Yunan's leprosy, but is killed
when King Yunan's vizier plots against him.
King Yunan
In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban," this ruler is cured of his leprosy by the wise man
Duban, but then executes the doctor after being fooled by his vizier.
King Yunan's vizier
In "The Vizier and the Sage Duban," this evil, unsightly man plots against Duban, and causes
trouble for both the wise man and Yunan himself.
Hussein
Hussein is the oldest of the three princes in "The Three Princes and the Princess
Nouronnihar". He purchases a magic carpet that can transport him wherever he chooses.
Ali
Ali is the middle of the three princes in "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar."
He purchases an ivory tube that can show the user anything he wishes.
Ahmed
Ahmed is the youngest of the princes in "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar."
He purchases an enchanted artificial apple that can heal even the worst sickness with one
sniff.
The Great Sultan of India
In "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar," he devises the competition for his
sons (the princes) to take, and ultimately lauds them for working together. Father to
Hussein, Ali, and Ahmed; uncle to Nouronnihar.
Nouronnihar
In "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar," she is niece to the Great Sultan, and
cousin to the three princes who compete for her hand.
Shahrayar's vizier
In "The Frame Story," he is Shahrayar's advocate sent to Samarkand to invite Shahzaman to
visit India.
the demon
In "The Frame Story," he traps a beautiful woman, who then sleeps around as much as
possible to scorn him. His misfortune encourages Shahrayar and Shahzaman on their quest
to find someone more miserable than they are.
the demon's woman
In "The Frame Story," this woman is trapped in a glass chest by a demon, but sleeps around
as much as possible (including with Shahrayar and Shahzaman) to scorn the demon.
the young man's wife
In "The Three Apples," she was falsely accused of infidelity by Ja'far's slave, and was
murdered because of it.
Sinbad's captain
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," several captains accidentally leave Sinbad
behind, usually to come across him later apologetically.
the horsegroom
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this man serves King Mihrage and brings
Sinbad to the king after the sailor helps him save a drowning mare.
the giant's mate
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this creature throws rocks at the fleeing crew
after they kill the cannibal giant, leaving only a few of the men alive.
the wealthy king
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," this ruler offers Sinbad a beautiful wife on his
fourth voyage, not revealing that the sailor has to be buried alive with the woman after she
dies according to local custom.
Sinbad's island wife
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," Sinbad marries this woman on his fourth
voyage, only to then discover he must be buried alive with her according to local custom.
Cassim's wife
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," she lends Ali Baba's wife a rigged scale and thereby
learns the secret of their wealth.
Ali Baba's wife
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," she desires to weigh the gold Ali Baba steals, so
borrows a scale from Cassim's wife, which the latter woman rigs to discover their secret.
Ali Baba's son
In "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," he is fooled by the Captain of the Thieves into inviting
the villain to dinner at Ali Baba's house.
Aladdin's mother
The title character's mother in "Aladdin's Lamp," she supports his almost-fatal trip with the
magician, and later helps Aladdin carry out his plan to marry the sultan's daughter.
the sultan's greedy vizier
In "Aladdin's Lamp," this man convinces the sultan to postpone the princess's marriage to
Aladdin so his own son can woo her. He succeeds, but Aladdin then manages to break up
the marriage.
the curious sultan
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this ruler is intrigued by the mystery of the colorful fish
and investigates to discover and free the sad prince.
the vizier's son
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he marries the beautiful princess thanks to his father's scheming, but
then loses his marriage because of Aladdin's magic.
the ring jinn
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he is the spirit conjured by the magician's ring, and less powerful than
the lamp jinn.
the lamp jinn
In "Aladdin's Lamp," he is the spirit conjured by the lamp Aladdin steals for the magician,
and is more powerful than the ring jinn.
the hairy men
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," these hairy, two-feet tall savages steal the ship
on which Sinbad is serving, leaving the crew stranded on the island with the cannibal giant.
the naked savages
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," these men drug Sinbad's crew on his fourth
journey, all in anticipation of eating them. Sinbad refuses to take their drugs.
the bird-people
In "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor," these people welcome Sinbad to their
community in the alternate version of the final voyage, but prove to be demons whom he
must escape.
the pot jinni
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this spirit is released by the old fisherman after having
been trapped inside a yellow jar by King Solomon of the Jinns for hundreds of years.
Though he initially wishes to punish the fisherman, he is outsmarted and ultimately grants
him a boon.
the sad prince
In "The Fisherman and the Jinni," this prince had been turned half-way to stone, but is
released through the help of the curious sultan.
Summary
Introduction
One day, in the midst of some grueling labor, an impoverished porter
(named Sinbad, though he is not the story's namesake) decides to rest
outside a grand palace in Baghdad. Curious about the building's
luxury, he asks one of its servants about the owner, and learns that it
is inhabited by a rich, noble sailor who who was extremely famous for
his incredible travels.
Jealous, the impoverished porter exclaims that the world is unjust,
since some could be given such prosperity while he has to work so
hard every day. A moment later, a palace servant summons him
inside; the sailor wishes to speak with him.
Inside, the porter meets the owner: Sinbad the sailor. He is
surrounded by several friends. The sailor wishes to defend his wealth
by telling the stories of his seven voyages. He insists that his good
fortune came only at the cost of severe hardship and struggles. He
then begins by relating the first of his voyages to the assembled
company.

Sinbad's first voyage

Sinbad had inherited much wealth from his parents, but he spent it
quickly due to poor, youthful decisions. Without any money, he set off
to sea as a merchant sailor. He quickly grew accustomed to the sea,
and began to make money at various ports.
One day, the ship docked on an island, and the sailors made a fire,
only to discover that they were actually on the back of a whale. As the
fire started burning, the whale dove deep into the ocean, leaving
Sinbad floundering on a piece of wood as his ship fled without him. He
was stranded in the middle of the sea.
Eventually, he drifted onto an island. There, he helped a horsegroom
to save a mare from being drowned by a mystical, powerful sea horse.
He then learned that the horsegroom served King Mihrage, who ruled
the island. The horsegroom gladly brought the sailor to meet Mihrage.
The king graciously received Sinbad, giving him everything he
needed. Sinbad befriended other merchants and sailors on the island,
so he was in a position to recognize a chest with his name on it when
a ship docked on the island one day. He quickly realized that this was
the very ship that had left him. Sinbad's captain initially doubted the
sailor's claim - they all believed Sinbad had drowned - but was
eventually convinced.
Before leaving the island, Sinbad gave King Mihrage some of his
rediscovered belongings as gifts, and the king bestowed him with
valuable gifts in return. During the ship's return to Baghdad, Sinbad
progressively traded these gifts for items of more value, so that he
was incredibly wealthy when he arrived home.
After finishing the story of his first voyage, Sinbad gives the porter
some money to take back to his family, and bids him return the
following night to hear more.

Sinbad's second voyage

The next night, the porter indeed returns, to find the company
gathered again to hear of Sinbad's second voyage.
Though wealthy after his first voyage, Sinbad eventually became
restless of staying in one place. Longing again for the sea, he set sail.
The ship docked one day at a seemingly uninhabited island, and the
sailors went out to explore. It being a lovely day, Sinbad fell into a nap.
Unfortunately, he awoke to find he had been accidentally left behind
(again).
On the island, he discovered a massive white orb, and realized it was
the egg of giant, mythical, dangerous bird called the roc. Determined
to get off the island, he hid amongst the nest until the roc landed, and
then strapped himself to the bird's leg. When it took flight again, it
carried Sinbad to a valley far away. Unfortunately, this valley was not
only impossible to climb out of, but it was also full of the roc's natural
prey: huge snakes that could swallow an elephant. Worst of all,
Sinbad was running out of provisions. The valley floor was also
covered with beautiful diamonds, though their value offered Sinbad
nothing in his predicament.
Luckily, he surmised that the snakes hibernated during daytime to
avoid the roc, so he hid away at night. Growing weary, he tried to nap
one day, but was awoken by huge slabs of meat which were being
thrown down from above. He suddenly remembered hearing stories of
this place. Merchants would come to the valley when eagles were
hatching their young, and throw meat to the valley floor hoping
diamonds would stick to it and the eagles would carry the meat to their
nests. The merchants were then in position to raid the nests and
collect the diamonds.
Sinbad then devised a plan - he collected several diamonds and
strapped himself to a piece of meat. After an eagle carried the meat to
its nest, he was rescued by a merchant, whom he thanked with
several diamonds.
He then joined those merchants on their ship, trading the diamonds for
progressively more valuable items during his journey home. When he
reached Baghdad, he was even richer than before.
His second story completed, Sinbad gives the porter more money, and
then bids him return on the following evening to hear of his third
voyage.

Analysis
As is the case with several other stories, the Sinbad tales were first
included in the Arabian Nights collection by translator Antoine Galland.
And yet they are natural fits. Not only do the tales of Sinbad fit well
within Scheherazade's frame story, but they also employ the frame
structure, thereby continuing to comment on the art of storytelling as
do many other Arabian Nights tales.
In fact, Sinbad's tales offer an interesting to parallel to
Scheherazade's. Much as she does, Sinbad tells a different story
every night. And yet his motives are quite distinct from hers - while
Scheherazade tells stories primarily to save lives, Sinbad more
explicitly wishes to change his listener. He not only wants the porter to
understand that he deserves his wealth, but moreover wants to
encourage a greater understanding of hardship and fortune in his
listener. In other words, Sinbad wishes his stories to be not only
entertaining, but also didactic. He hopes to impart some level of virtue.
Of course, as is the case with all the collection's stories, the greater
purpose is contingent on the story's entertainment value. Implicitly,
the Arabian Nights reminds us time and again that stories can produce
amazing results, but they must first and foremost be fun to listen to.
Sinbad (the sailor) is definitely an interesting character. For someone
with so much wealth, he is notably generous and compassionate. He
could have merely ignored the porter's lament, but instead takes pity
on the man and attempts to enlighten him. Further, the fact that he
gives the porter money each night after the stories suggests his own
understanding of the world's unfairness. At the same time that he feels
entitled to his wealth, he recognizes the travails of the poor.
Perhaps Sinbad is aware that not every man is born with such
resourcefulness and talent. His own stories reveal these qualities. He
is always able to concoct an escape plan, even in the grips of fatigue
or hunger. One could argue that luck is too often on his side -
appearing in the guise of the falling meat or the returning ship, for
instance - but Sinbad is only in position to capitalize on this luck
because he perseveres. Instead of falling into despair, he always
remains observant, devoted towards getting back home, so that when
the opportunity presents itself, he is in position to take advantage of it.
Sinbad's stories also provide much insight into the values of his time.
First, they express the importance of sea trade during this period of
history. Many people made their livelihood as merchants, and would
spend months away from home in order to support their families.
Some of the important trading materials of this time were diamonds,
other precious stones, sandalwood, camphor, coconuts, cloves,
cinnamon, pepper, aloes, ambergris, and ivory, all of which Sinbad
obtains at some point during his quests. The ability of this Islamic
empire to capitalize on trade was essential for supporting large parts
of its population which would otherwise be indigent.
King Mihrage's willingness to help Sinbad when he is a castaway also
speaks volumes of the importance of hospitality in cultures around this
time. Turning away a guest, particularly one in need, was considered
the height of dishonor. This was particularly true for nobles who had a
lot to offer. In return, the guest was expected to show his gratitude in
whatever way possible. Sinbad conforms to this expectation by
presenting the king with gifts before he sets sail once more. Hospitality
and cordiality was expected in this society, even towards merchants
trading at sea.
Finally, these stories are unique in the collection because they most
closely align with the epic tradition. While many of the Arabian
Nights stories are concerned with human nature, the Sinbad stories
are most explicitly adventure stories. Epics were produced during
antiquity in many of the ancient cultures, including the Greeks,
Romans, early Indian civilizations, early China, and more. Sinbad is
arguably the best known of the Islamic empire's epics. Typically, these
narratives feature a powerful figure who represents the values of his
culture, and travels amongst large swaths of humanity (and
otherwise), encountering a variety of adventures along the way. These
stories could have been a conscious attempt to write in that vein,
since Greek epics like The Odyssey and The Iliad had been around for
several centuries, or may have been an unconscious reflection of the
oral tradition that had preserved those type of tales. Either way, it is
clear from even the first two voyage stories that they employ a
remarkable amount of inventiveness and imagination.
Traveling isn’t always easy. No one knows this better than Sindbad the Sailor. In the
timeless tale The Voyages of Sindbad the intrepid traveler is consistently confronted with
hardships and woe during his seven journeys, but the allure of adventure and the spirit of
wanderlust tempts him time and again to seek out the unknown.
As anyone who has spent time on the road can tell you, the road is never straight and is
often filled with bumps, but it is the journey that matters. Here are some lessons learned
from Sindbad’s adventures

__
There will always be trouble
On each of Sindbad’s seven journeys he was either shipwrecked or abandoned. And that
was only the beginning of his troubles. From evil man-eating monsters to starving on
a barren island, Sindbad was invariably facing danger and trouble.

Even the best laid plans and intentions may encounter difficultly. Delayed flights, canceled
reservations, and food poisoning are all part of traveling. While some problems are bigger
than others. It temporarily helps to complain, but in the end one must accept their fate and
do the best they can.

___

Always keep your wits

More than once Sindbad faced death. Whether facing the ferocious Roc birds or trapped
alive in a crypt, it doesn’t pay to lose your head. Nearly every time Sindbad seemed
doomed his clear thinking and resourcefulness saved his life and more often than not made
him richer.

When traveling don’t forget to stay calm, use your intuition, and keep and open mind. When
everyone around you is losing theirs it is up to you to have a cool head and find the best
solution to the situation.

___

Never lose hope

Like Sindbad there are always times in one’s life when all hope is lost. Traveling especially
brings problems to the surface. Escaping from your comfort zone ultimately brings troubles
and tribulations, but the will to hold on and the grit to never quit is what makes the
difference between riches and perishing. Sindbad’s path to fortune was anything but easy,
however, the thrill of adventure is what inspired him.

For travelers and entrepreneurs alike postcard moments and wealth aren’t the only rewards
of life. Even on a vacation when the rain won’t stop, the waves don’t come, or the sites
aren’t quite what you expected, don’t fret but instead be inspired and revel in the
experience of being there.

___

Make the best of the situation

Even when Sindbad was shipwrecked, starving, enslaved, or destined to be eaten he never
forgot to make the best of what was available. Sindbad always seemed to stumble upon
fields of diamonds and staffs of gold during his times of peril and it is during the tough
times that you may discover a far richer travel experience. In the end, you might not return
home wealthy and prosperous beyond your wildest dreams like Sindbad, but you might!

_____________________________________________________________

The story of Sindbad the Sailor is one of adventure and fortune. Escaping from your
comfort zone through traveling ultimately brings troubles and tribulations, but the will to
hold on and the grit to never quit is what makes the difference between a fantastic
adventure or horror story. The Voyages of Sindbad are part of the greater collection of stories
from Tales from the Thousand and One Nights.