Note: Downloadable and online audio version available at Librivox 10th in the annual Fairy Book series edited by Lang (quote) The stories in the Fairy Books have generally been such as old women in country places tell to their grandchildren. ...   Now 'The Arabian Nights', some of which, but not nearly all, are given in this volume, are only fairy tales of the East. The people of Asia, Arabia, and Persia told them in their own way, not for children, but for grown-up people. ...   In this book 'The Arabian Nights' are translated from the French version of Monsieur Galland, who dropped out the poetry and a great deal of what the Arabian authors funny, though it seems wearisome to us. In this book the stories are shortened here and there, and omission are made of pieces only suitable for Arabs and old gentlemen. The translations are by the writers of the tales in the Fairy Books [Mrs. Lang and others], and the pictures are by Mr. Ford. --from the preface by Andrew Lang