Genies, wishes, thieves, and treasure abound in these classic stories of magic and adventure from master storyteller Padraic Colum. Every night for a thousand and one nights, Shahrazad begins to tell her husband the king a new tale but each night she stops before finishing. Why? Because the king has promised to kill her when the last one is over. However, her nightly stories--of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains--are so enthralling that King Shahryar has to postpone her execution again and again... Padraic Colum brings together a selection of the most amazing of the over 600 stories which Shahrazad told. Full of genies, flying carpets, and daring adventures, The Arabian Nights will captive a new audience and leave readers asking for one more story.