The Vizier, Scheherazade's Worried Father

The vizier is King Shahryar's chief minister, the person who helps the king run his kingdom. A vizier carries messages, gives advice and carries out the king's orders. In the book he has no name.

He is the father of Scheherazade and Dunyazad. When Scheherazade says she will marry the king, he is terrified for her. To change her mind, he tells her the story of the Bull and the Donkey: a donkey gives clever advice to a bull, and ends up doing the bull's hard work himself. His lesson is that people who rush into other people's troubles can get into trouble too.

Scheherazade listens, but she does not change her mind. Read the story in the prologue.

The word vizier comes from the Arabic wazir. Burton writes Wazir, and his note says the word is usually explained as meaning a minister.