The Thousand Nights and One Night

(Story Summarization)
Volume 2

The Ass

A Man was walking on the market with an Ass following him by a simple cord. A robber saw
them and wanted to get the ass from him. He then went behind him and tied himself like the
ass after he releases it with his companions. When the man looked back at the ass because it
was being difficult, he saw the man and was surprised. The witty thief then came up with a
story to fool him that he turned to be an Ass as was cursed by his mother because of his
repulsive actions. The Man then believed his words and released him. When he met up again
with his Ass, he thought the boy was cursed again.

Male or Female

The King Khusrau is fond of fish, he was delighted when a fisherman gave him a great one. He
ordered to give the fisherman a four thousand dirhams that is not approved by his wife, Shirin,
and encourage him to take back the money with a great excuse to fool the fisherman. As he
loves his wife so much, he agreed, but the Fisherman was able to get away by his wise answer.
But as he walked, he drops one silver dirham and picked it up and put down a bag of dirhams
which offended the King and His wife. He was called again and questioned but he was able to
make the king admire him in his wise words.

The Share

As the Khalifa couldn’t sleep because of insomnia, wazir Jafar and Masrur is with him who
suddenly laugh that he thought he’s making fun of him. Masrur then told him about a funny
thought of certain Ibn al-Karibi. He got interested and want to invite to make him laugh. The Ibn
al-Kabiri gladly accept and made an agreement with Masrur. But then when he came, he was so
frightened with the consequence, and he went blank. The King was furious and punished him,
he told to share the punishment with Masrur as they had an agreement. Masrur received the
blows on his feet, but he wanted to take back his share that made the Khalifa laugh and grant
them reward.

The Schoolmaster

A vagabond who couldn’t read and write wanted to be a schoolmaster. He successfully makes a
place for his room, he creates pictures of writing to be more convincing. He invented his own
way to run his school and fooled everyone with his pretentious. A Woman approach him asking
to read a letter sent by his husband, he tried to escape but the Woman insist that made him
hold it upside-down. His face was confused, that the Woman thought of bad news and believed
that her husband was dead and cries in grief. She found out what the letter really meant and
confronts the schoolmaster, he then come up with his excuse of reading it in the wrong way.

Inscription on a Chemise

When al-Amin visits his uncle al-Mahdi, he saw a beautiful young slave and fell in love with her.
His uncle seems to notice that that’s why he came up with the idea of sending the slave after
him. He makes her dressed like a rich with jewelries but because of that, Al-Mahdi thought that
his uncle already used the lady as he knows it’s reputation about the Woman he had. He did
not accept her and sends her home with a letter like saying of not wanting something that is
already taken. Al-Mahdi then send the salve again with the silk chemise dress only with a lute
on her hand and send a meaningful inscription that make al-Amin accept her.