You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

A genie, maybe that conjours up an image from a Disney movie. We see Aladdin and his magic lamp? But this tale comes from  a living archive of Middle Eastern Folktales.

There are 27 known editions, countless translations, and adaptations crossing centuries. The collection continues to grow.

In 1948 in Syria the first few pages were discovered of  a work titled Kitab Hadith Alf Layla ( a book of the tales of a thousand nights). It is said to date back to the 9th century.

The first English edition is  from the early 16th century.

A Thousand and One Nights is probably more broadly recognised as Arabian Nights. Aladdin and his lamp don’t appear in early editions. But The Fisherman and the Jini do.

Despite all the variations, the core story remains the same King Sharyar betrayed by his queen vows to marry and execute a new wife every day… until along comes Schehrazade, who begins but doesn’t finish a new story each evening..thus delaying her execution.

Justice, cunning,love, betrayal, and fate. Wisdom, resilience, and the power of storytelling. It’s all there.

A wish for me? That everyone has the life they deserve.