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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the Kurd do when he sees Ali with what he is holding?

2. What do the two kings, Sharyar and his brother, Shah Zaman, vow?

3. In the story of Ali The Persian, why did Caliph Harun al-Rashid ask his Wazir for a storyteller?

4. Ali the Persian tells the first story of traveling to Baghdad bearing a what?

5. Upon seeing his father a second time, Ajib believes his father to be a what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Shahrazad teach the king through her story In The Tale of Ma'an Son of Zaidah and The Badawi?

2. Describe the character of the man burdened with debts in The Man Who Stole The Dish of Gold Wherein The Dog Ate.

3. How might Shahrazad's tale in The Tale of The Three Apples whittle away at the king's assumption that all women are faithless and untrustworthy?

4. How is the main character in the story of The Ruined Man Who Became Rich Again Through A Dream rewarded for his faith?

5. What might Shahrazad be suggesting through her tale to the king in The Hermits?

6. What kind of moral is offered in the story in The Man Who Stole The Dish of Gold Wherein The Dog Ate?

7. What is the purpose of Shahrazad deciding to tell this seemingly innocuous story to the king in Ali The Persian?

8. Of what symbolic use were the tokens (signet rings) to the two lovestruck characters in The Tale of Kamar Al-Zaman?

9. In Hatim Of the Tribe of Tayy, how does this story blur the lines between the living and the dead?

10. Correlate the experience of visiting the Caliph for help/direction in the Porter and The Three Ladies of Baghdad to visiting another person of power for help in the present day.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Tale of Ma'an Son of Zaidah and The Badawi, the Emir rewards loyalty not by buying it, but by rewarding it after it is shown without any provocation or wielding of power. When the farmer did not recognize him, yet still spoke well of him and his generosity, he paid the man for his goods beyond what had been previously discussed. While this moral can be lauded as a wonderful commentary on the fact that leaders do not need to use force or proof to create a popular legacy or reputation, how could this kind of slant on the way leaders can effect their people be seen as a negative or morally corrupt one in democratic society today?

Essay Topic 2

The seemingly random and somewhat humorous story of How Abu Hasan Broke Wind seems to have no apparent places in this plethora of artfully told selection of moralistic tales. Explore the reasons why Shahrazad may have decided to tell this tale. Consider the following background concepts when outlining your essay:

Characters' intentions/reasonings.

Length of the book itself.

Length of the tale.

Essay Topic 3

In the story of The Angel of Death With The Proud King And The Devout Man, a wealthy man lived for his own glory while the devout man lived for God, so each man faced death differently: one as loss, the other as gain. The moral lesson is not about wealth or poverty, but about the character of a man. In short, wealth and position are meaningless in the next world because one cannot take his possessions to the grave. Citing specific examples from the tale as your supporting evidence, explore and explain how this tale flies in the face of the cultural and social beliefs of the day.

(see the answer keys)

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