Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-02
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.
The Mystery Of the origin of the
Tales Partially Solved.

Tales Partially Solved
A famous literary problemswhicl
has puzzled generations Of scholar
has just been solved, or PARTIAL!
solved. Ever since the great French
Orientalist, Galland, gave the "Thou
sand and One Nights to the world
the stories which IScheherazade tolt
to her melancholy and murderous
lord have stood at the top of popular
fiction. Galland translated his tales
from an Eastern manuscript which
stopped short before the conclusion
OF the work. Galland, however
filed in the gap. He added
eleven stories, and thus presented
the world with the "Arabian Nights
in the form in which it is
still most familiar. The imperfect
manuscript from which he worked is
in existence; it contains no trace oi
any one Of the mysterious eleven
stories, some of which have become
the most popular of any in the whole
collection. When we remember that
they include such favorites as "Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves "The
Sleeper Awakened" the story OF
Prince Ahmed and the Pearl Hanou,' p
the story of the "Envious Sisters,''
and "Alladdin and the Wonderful
Lamp" We need hardly be surprised
II the puzzle OF their origin has ex-
cited the iveliest curiosity. These
tales, whose sources were unknown,
have made the deepest mark upon
literature. Whenever Dickens, for
example, refers to the "Arabian
Nights" it is almost always to one
of these tales.
Where, then, did Galland get these
stories? Such has been the riddle of
Arabists ever since they became ia
nous. According to one theory, Gal
land wrote them himself In order to
fill the gap in his Nights" he in
vented series of stories which he
palmed off upon Paris and the world
as genuine Oriental fiction. This
theory, however uncomplimentary to
Galland's honesty, was undoubtedly
highly flattering to his literary fame.
This theory of audacious literary
imposture, however, did not long hold
water. 1t was practically knocked to
up containing the Arabic original of
the story of the "Sleeper Awakened. !"
When one original had been discov-
cred, the discovery of the others
was to be hoped for. But the hope
remained unfulfilled. 1t was then sug-
gested that Galland had picked up
these stories during his travels in the
Levant. Students of the folk lore of
other countries came across tales of
remarkable similarity. There is a
Greek tale of Syria, for instance, the
STORY of the Two Brothers and the
Forty-nine Dragons" which is strik-
ingly like cali Baba." The late
Professor Palmer was very skeptical
as to the Arabic origin of Aladdin"
But all this was speculation. Moth
ing definite could be proved about the
origin of the mysterious stories. For
much more than 100 years their
origin remained mystery. During
more than 100 years the original
Arabic text of only one single story
out of them all rewarded the perse-
verance and stimulated the enterprise
Of the scholars.
Now at last, within this month, the
mystery is partially, if not entirely,
solved. M. Hermann Gutenberg,
keeper of Eastern manuscripts in the
Bibliotheque Rationale in Paris, has
published within the last few days a
volume called "Histoire d'Ala Adm,
on la Lampe Merveilleuse Text
Arabe, public avec une Notice sur
quelvues Manuscrits des Mille-et- Une
Nuts" This book settles decisively
the question of the origin of Galland's
tales, on Galland's own authority. M.
Gutenberg has been fortunate enough
to find Galland's Journal, and Gal
lands journal records that on Mon
day, 25th of March, 1909, he met
certain M. Hanna, Maronite of
Aleppo, who had accompanied M.
Paul Lucas, the Eastern traveller, to
Paris. M. Hanna then, and at sew
eral later dates, told him Eastern
tales, of which Galland was careful to
make copious summaries in his
journal. These tales included "Alad-
din" the story of "The Blind Man
Baba Abdallah," the story of "Sidi
Nouman." the story of ''The En-
chanted Horse" the story of "The
Envious Sisters,'' the story of
"Ahmed and the Peri Hanou," the
story of cali Baba," the story of
"Khodja Hasan Al-Habbal," and the
story Of "Ali-Khodja." The Maronite
Hanna even wrote out for Galland
Ahe Arabic text of the story of
Aladdin.
Here is indeed an astonishing
revelation. The mystery of the tales
lis solved at last, SO far as Galland is
concerned, but it has passed from
Galland to- Hanna-to the mystic
Maronite who has vanished into
space like one OF his own euchanters.
Where did he get his marvellous bud
get of tales? Who will tell us what
became of him? Does Aleppo or
Damascus rightly claim him? M.
Galland, in his journal, attributes
MIN indiferently to both these cities.
Did he leave precious manu-
scripts behind him, and if SO, what
has become of them? These are ques-
tions which must still tantalize the
minds OF the curious. In any case,
thanks to M. Gutenberg, one vexed
literary problem has been set at rest
forever. Antoine Galland was GER
tainly not the inventor of cali Baba, !"
Aladdin" and the rest of the stories
whose origin was till this month
veiled in obscurity. The year 1888
is, we are told by the wise, to be. a
lucky year. 1t has certainly begun
luckily with the soluiion-partial, in
deed. but still highly satisfactory-of
literary problem which has per.
turbed scholars for many irritable
generations.-[London Daily News.
Dcnlefs and Consumers Of Beer
Will afad IL n thair aduanfaaa tn call