Tales of the Caravan, Inn, and Palace

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About this book

A stranger rides out of the desert toward a caravan of merchants returning from Mecca. Calling himself Selim Baruch of Bagdad, he asks to travel under their protection and proposes that each man tell a story when they stop to camp. This gathering introduces a collection of German tales by Wilhelm Hauff, translated into English by Edward L. Stowell and arranged in three groups around a caravan, an inn and a palace.

The stories combine travelers, merchants and courtly settings with fairy magic and changes of appearance. In the passage from Said's adventures, a young clerk gains an evening away from his employer and visits a fairy's house. There he receives a disguise, elaborate armor and a horse for a public contest. Readers interested in folklore can enjoy the layered storytelling and the contrast between everyday bargaining and extraordinary possibilities.