Why is the collection of stories called The Thousand and One Nights?

The collection of stories is called "The Thousand and One Nights" because it tells the story of Scheherazade, a clever young woman who tells her king a story each night for 1,001 nights to delay her execution.

Here's the breakdown:

* Scheherazade: The protagonist, a brilliant and resourceful woman, is forced to marry the tyrannical King Shahryar, who has sworn to kill each of his wives after one night due to a betrayal by his first wife.

* The Stories: To save herself, Scheherazade begins telling the king a story each night, but she strategically leaves each story unfinished at dawn. This compels the king to spare her life until the next night to hear the story's conclusion.

* The 1,001 Nights: She continues this for 1,001 nights, captivating the king with her tales and eventually earning his love and trust. Through her cunning and storytelling skills, she breaks the king's cycle of violence and ultimately saves herself.

Therefore, the name "The Thousand and One Nights" reflects the duration of Scheherazade's storytelling and the number of nights she lived to tell the tale.