A Thousand and One Nights 1969

Aldin, a poor, traveling water seller, finds himself drawn to Miriam, Miriam, Kyôko Kishida a beautiful slave woman on auction in Baghdad. When Havasalakum, the son of the city’s police chief, buys her, a sudden sandstorm erupts and interrupts the bidding. Seizing the moment, Aldin heroically steals away the slave and frees her from bondage. They slip into an ostensibly empty mansion and hide from pursuers, sharing a forbidden moment of intimacy within its walls. The master of the house, the enigmatic Shalieman, watches from the shadows and orders them to continue, trapping them in a precarious situation they cannot escape.

Meanwhile, Badli, Hiroshi Akutagawa the chief’s loyal right-hand man, drags a woman to the hideout of the Forty Thieves where excess and revelry erupt. Kamarkim, the fearless leader of the thieves, Asao Koike disperses the gathering, even sending away his own daughter, Madia, in a moment of ruthless discipline. Madia, disillusioned and hurt, heads to the sea for a moment of escape, only to find Badli’s attention turn toward her as he shoots a fish near her. When she emerges, the confrontation turns violent: Badli’s infatuation grows, he attempts a kiss, she slaps him, and the enraged Badli rapes Madia. With a heavy heart, she vows revenge on Badli.

That very night, Havasalakum and his guards overrun the mansion, capturing Miriam. Badli kills Shalieman, and Aldin is tortured and framed for the murder, eventually sent to prison. In the aftermath, a heartbroken Miriam dies in childbirth, her dreams of a life with Aldin shattered.

One year passes. Aldin is released and encounters Badli in the desert. He confronts his foe, initially threatening to kill him, but he ultimately chooses mercy and lets Badli go. This moment of mercy marks a turning point for Aldin. He discovers a hidden magic cave where Kamarkim and the Forty Thieves hide their treasure; as a thief slips inside, Aldin follows and, while the thieves sleep, begins stealing their wealth. Madia awakens, and though she initially threatens to kill Aldin to avenge Badli, he persuades her to join him in looking outward at the world beyond vengeance.

Together, Aldin and Madia escape on a magic wooden horse, crossing the ocean in search of a new life. However, their voyage is interrupted when a living strand of hair pulls them beneath the waves, and they drown. They wash ashore on Lotus Island, home to a group of beautiful Sirens. The island’s queen, Lamia, welcomes them, yet Madia grows jealous and wary of the enchanting new world. Madia departs on the magic horse, while Aldin remains and has encounters with the sirens, including a forbidden night with them. Lamia forbids him from following her into the house in the woods, but he breaks the rule, only to witness Lamia and the Sirens transform into serpents. He flees the island and is rescued by sailors, continuing his wandering aboard a mysterious ship that seems to grant almost any wish.

Fifteen years pass. Two genies on a carpet cross paths with a shepherd named Aslan, Isao Hashizume. The female genie falls for him, and to shield the other genie from danger, the male genie conjures a plan involving a princess named Jalis from Baghdad, though he teleports her away when things spiral out of control. The male genie abandons the scene, and the female genie herself transforms into a horse to help Aslan reach Baghdad. When Aslan and Princess Jalis finally meet, the genie disappears from the scene, leaving a void of possibility and consequence in their wake.

Back in Baghdad, Aldin reemerges as a wealthy man and enters a brutal contest where the winner will be crowned king. He uses cunning and the magical ship to outwit his rival and seize the throne, hoping to bind Princess Jalis—but she is in love with Aslan, not the newly minted monarch. Aldin’s grasp on power tempts him to compel Jalis to marry him, yet the people resist his rule. The revolt is led by Muhammad bin Sabaik, his second-in-command, and the crown’s grip grows heavy. Not prepared for the weight of kingship, Aldin relinquishes the throne and chooses to travel the world as a free, peaceful man, discovering that true happiness lies in freedom and harmony rather than wealth or dominion.