The history of Zayn al Asnam was copied from the Sabbagh MS. and
sent to me by M. Houdas, Professeur d'Arabe vulgaire a l'Ecole
des langues orientales vivantes; an Arabist, whose name is
favourably quoted in the French Colonies of Northern Africa M.
Zotenberg kindly lent me his own transcription of Alaeddin before
sending it to print; and I can only regret that the dilatory
proceedings of the Imprimerie Nationale, an establishment
supported by the State, and therefore ignoring the trammels of
private industry, have prevented my revising the version now
submitted to the public. This volume then begins with the two
Gallandian Tales, "Zeyn Alasnam" and "Aladdin," whose Arabic
original was discovered by M. Zotenberg during the last year:
although separated in the French version, I have brought them
together for the sake of uniformity. The other eight (or nine,
including the Princess of Daryabar), entitled History of Khudadad
and his Brothers, and the Princess of Daryabar;

History of Khudadad and his Brothers, and the Princess of
Daryabar;
History of the Blind Man, Baba Abdullah;
History of Sidi Nu'uman;
History of Khwajah Hasan al-Habbal;
History of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves;
History of Ali Khwajah and the Merchant of Baghdad;
History of Prince Ahmad and the Fairy Peri-banu;
History of the two Sisters who envied their Cadette,

are borrowed mainly from the Indian version of Totaram Shayan.