Arabian Nights

Morning has come and gone but the story did not end. A prince cursed by his stepmother wakes each day in a different skin, and the doors of his own palace are closed to him. As the old man pursues the truth of the river, and the enchantment tightens, the night grows shorter and Shahrazad must race the dawn to hold the tale's most dangerous secret for one more sunrise. Continue the story that began in Part 1. The King is leaning in. The dawn is coming. Are you? "Lapsed into silence, she watched the sky lighten. One night ended. A thousand stretched before her."

He thought he knew his wife. He was wrong. When truth is uncovered, the consequences don't end with the guilty, they curse the innocent too. Three years of stone. Three years of silence.

"A prince ventures into forbidden lands where beauty masks terror. What begins as romance becomes a fight for his life when the ogress reveals her true appetite. Survival demands wit sharper than any sword."

A merchant leaves on a journey and trusts a parrot to watch over his wife. When he returns the bird tells him everything and nothing will ever be the same. The Tale of the Husband and the Parrot is a story of truth, deception and the dangerous power of a well placed word.

A king. A faithful falcon. And a moment of rage that cannot be undone. King Sindibad and His Falcon is a devastating tale of loyalty punished and justice delivered too late - where a single impulsive act destroys the most faithful companion a king ever had.

A king saved by a sage. A vizier poisoned by jealousy. And a warning that comes too late. The Tale of the Wazir and the Sage Duban is a story of gratitude betrayed where a healer's extraordinary gift becomes the very reason a powerful man wants him dead."

A poor fisherman casts his net four times - and on the fourth pull drags up something no net was ever meant to catch. A jinni, ancient and furious, imprisoned for centuries and now free - with murder on his mind. What chance does a simple fisherman have against a creature of smokeless fire?

A third stranger steps forward with the most extraordinary tale yet - a story of love twisted into something dark, a woman's deadly jealousy, and a magic so powerful it turns men into animals. The final third of a man's life now hangs on every word.

Welcome to One Thousand and One Nights. In this episode: A second stranger steps forward with another extraordinary tale - two black dogs and a story of betrayal, greed, and the kind of magic that transforms men into beasts. Can his story buy another third of a doomed man's life?

Welcome to One Thousand and One Nights. In this episode: A merchant sits condemned - three days to live, a demon's bargain, and no hope in sight. Then a stranger arrives leading a gazelle, and makes an offer that will decide whether a man lives or dies. The First Shaykh's Story - where a tale told well is worth a third of a man's life."

Every night a new story, every story a new world. Step inside the magic, mystery, and timeless wisdom of One Thousand and One Nights — where kings and demons, merchants and magicians weave tales within tales. Performed episode by episode from Richard F. Burton's landmark 1885 translation. Produced by Duse Productions.

Welcome to One Thousand and One Nights. In this episode: A merchant rests on a journey, tosses aside a date stone — and seals his fate. A genie rises from the earth, son dead at his feet, and demands a life for a life. Innocence is no defense when the supernatural seeks justice.

In this episode, we hear The Tale of the Ox and the Ass , a story from One Thousand and One Nights . A wealthy merchant who secretly understands the language of animals overhears a conversation between an overworked ox and a comfortable donkey. When the donkey offers clever advice on how the ox might avoid hard labor, the plan works—but not in the way either of them expects. This tale explores work, cunning, unintended consequences, and the wisdom (and danger) of giving advice. Like many stories from One Thousand and One Nights , it sits inside a larger story being told, reminding us that every choice can ripple further than we imagine. A story about miscalculation, fairness, and learning the hard way.

In this episode, we begin with the opening tale from The Thousand and One Nights : The Story of King Shahrayar and Shahrazad . Two royal brothers, shaken by betrayal and disillusionment, set out on a journey that changes the course of their kingdoms. What they witness along the way deepens their mistrust of the world and leads King Shahrayar to make a terrible vow—one that threatens the lives of countless women. But in the midst of fear and injustice, a young woman named Shahrazad steps forward with courage, knowledge, and a plan that will become one of the most famous storytelling traditions in history. This episode introduces the world, the conflict, and the moment that begins the legendary cycle of stories known as The Thousand and One Nights . Translated by RICHARD F. BURTON