Arabian Nights

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The Arden production of The Arabian Nights should have included a story or two about a Demon like those included in the novel by Husain Haddawy. By including these types of stories they could incorporate magic and demons into the play. There are many interesting ways that they adapter could portray magic and the appearance of demons.
The Story of the Merchant and the Demon from the novel tells of this wealthy merchant who travels from town to town selling goods. On one trip he rode for many days and then stopped to rest under a walnut tree. He got something to eat out of his bag and began to throw the pits of the dates left and right. Then this old demon arrived and pulled out his sword to kill the merchant. Asking the demon why he wanted to kill him, the demon replied that the merchant had killed his son when he threw the date pit and it hit him in the head. The merchant began to weep and mourn his family and his wife and children. (Haddawy p.18) He then began to recite verses and after he was finished and stopped crying, the demon said again that he must kill the merchant as the merchant had killed his son. The merchant then begged the demon for time to say his good byes to his family and his wife and his kids. The demon agreed to give the man one year to return only after the merchant swore as God as a witness.
When the merchant returned home and told of his troubles to his wife and children they all mourned. He than wrote his will, divided his property, discharged his obligations to people, left bequests and gifts, distributed alms, and engaged reciters to read portions of the Quran in his house. Then he summoned legal witnesses and in their presence freed his slaves and slave-girls, divided among his elder children their shares of the property, appointed guardians for his little ones, and gave his wife her share according to her marriage contract. (Haddawy p. 19) As the year came to an end, the merchant tearfully said his good byes and traveled to the orchard exactly one year later.
As he was waiting under the tree for the demon, an old man walked by with a deer and asked why he was sitting in the orchard which is filled with demons and devils.

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