Things I learned from reading/rereading these four stories:

1. In the original tale, Aladdin, far from being a purehearted street rat, is an “idle, careless” boy who through the adventure of the lamp becomes a responsible, skilled adult man.
2. The forty thieves dismember Ali Baba’s greedy brother into four separate pieces so that the local cobbler has to sew him back together, which is badass.
3. The Sinbad stories are kind of repetitive, and made me want to watch the Ray Harryhausen films.
4. Like in all good stories, servant girls are always more clever than their masters.

Rating