The heroic stories and adventures of Ali Zeibak have many different versions written by different writers, like the legend of King Arthur in this respect. It is not easy to come by any of the versions, since it is as old as hills. Narrated at the Mamluki period. A completely different adventure can be found in Arabian Nights, bu not the main one. I finished reading the modernized version by Farouk Korshed. It is a quick read, funny but felt it was shallow at times. I found a copy by Abdel Tawwab who claims that he found the original. Read only 15 pages of it because it was challenging to read. The language in Tawwab's version is what i found interesting, because it seems like the Arabic used at the Mamluki period; a mixture of old colloquial Egyptian Arabic, Standard Arabic and some scattered Turkish words. I didn't understand some words, even my Arabic professors couldn't make they meant.
Ali Zeibak is a must-read Seera, esp if you are interested in the history of Egypt before the Ottoman conquest. It is the last of all Seerat, as Anatara Ibn Shadad was the first. It might be the only Egyptian legend at that time. Ali is like Robin Hood, steals from the rich and gives to the poor. From his name, Zeibak, he is like mercury that runs and disappears fast. Challenges authorities like Zorro. But know that his adventures came way before Robin Hood and Zorro. What I like the most about Korshed's book is the female characters esp for that age. You have all kinds of strong women, Dalila el Mohatala, Zeinab el Nasaba, Fatma the lioness, Set Nazara..etc. They match Ali in his wit, shrewdness bravery. Sometimes they're even better. It is rare to see that, so it is far ahead of its time in treating women equally.
It was a nice surprise to find two TV shows about Ali Zeibak, an Egyptian one made in 1980, and a Syrian one in 2014. Both are equally good and can be found on Youtube. The latter has more characters and expands the story. If there are any questions about Ali Zeibak or someone looking for the ebook, I'll be glad to help.