In The Great Khan’s Tent Episode XX: The Arabian Nights Part XVIII

In the Great Khan’s Tent

In this Episode, we conclude the story “The Story told by the by the Christian Broker” with Night XXVI and in Night XXVII we begin the story “The Story told by the Sultan’s Steward”.

The story told by the Christian broker was in essence a sad one. Although he does gain his wealth back and more by the end, what he has lost is more immense than can be recovered by mere wealth alone. This fact is clearly indicated by the merchant, who at the end of his story, travels back to his home city of Basra with the Broker, but leaves to return to Cario perhaps to be closer to his loved one.

Although there can be many interpretations of what motivated the merchant, in the end it is followed on by the Sultan hearing another story, this time from the steward. Why did the Sultan not like this story when compared to the story of the Humpback? Probably because this was more of a romantic tale, while the humpback’s one was more comedic.

This new story, much like the story of the Christian Broker, is again based on the experiences of a merchant, this time a store owner, who has debts to discharge incurred by his father and how he meets a female customer who he falls in love with.

These stories seem to revolve around the characters of merchants and their love lives in a more common setting perhaps indicating who this tale, at least from the onset, was meant for when the storyteller plied his trade.