Scheherazade, the regal consort of Shahryar, preserved her life on the first night of her marriage by telling fascinating tales to her sister, Dinazade. The king, eavesdropping, became entranced by these tales Scheherazade told and in the process sparing her life for days unlike former consorts executed the morning following their wedding nights. These stories comprise the 1001 Nights, and, yes the King fell in love Scheherazade, produced three sons and became a kinder and wiser ruler. And, the influence of these stories are present in many Arab societies if only you, as a social expat, know where to look. [Read more...]