I

ALI

BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES

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OTIC 3 3333 12071 0716

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AL BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.

N
a town in Persia lived two brothers
Ali Baba.

Cassini

and

Cassim was

rich,

but Ali Baba was poor,

and gained his living by cutting wood, and bringing it upon three asses into the town to sell. One day he saw some robbers in a forest he watched them from a hiding-place, and counted forty of them they carried bags of treasure, and hid it in a cave,
; ;

which opened

fur tln'in

in tin

solid rock

<ui

saying

tin

nut again, Whentlieyea words, "Open, Sesame." the captain said, "Shut, Sesame," and the door shut Then AH Baba came behind them, and they rodr oil'. down t'iMin his hiding-place, and went tci the rock, and >aid "( )|ii'ii,Sr..Hiir," and a dour upi'iii-d, and lie cntcn
il

und

funiid all

manner uf
u bo

trea-iiiri
liis

htv of
\Vlien

^,,1,1 ,.,,in,
lie

ami lading
hi-;

ho carried off a quanasses with it, went home.

;

showed

wile, she

wanted

to

measure

it,

to see

how much

they possessed, and she

went to Gassim's

her, putting

wife to borrow a measure, and Cassim's wife lent it to some suet at tho bottom of the measure.

Ali

Baba and

his wife then

;

measured the gold, and buried

it in

the ground and when Cassim's wife received back the measure, she found a piece of gold sticking to the

suet.
tell

secret of the cave, and went next day to get treasure for himself. He entered the cave by saying,

She him the

told Cassiiu,

who persuaded

his brother to

but when he was ready to depart, Open, Sesame having gathered many bags together, he could not think of the magic words, and so was obliged to remain in the cave till the robbers returned, who, enraged at having had their secret discovered, killed him, and cut his body into
;

"

"

four quarters, hanging ihi-m inside the cave.

Ca.ssim's

^^^^^^^

her husband did not return, went to wife, finding that to go to the cave, and tell AH Baba, who at once set off

which he on entering it discovered his brother's remains, other two curled home on one of his asses, loading the AH Baba then buried the body, and with bags of gold. slave with the assistance of an intelligent contrived, Cassim to make everv one believe that named Morgiana, the had died a natural death. AH Baba then married

widow, and became very rich and prosperous. and findMeanwhile the forty robbers visited their cave, determined that Cassim's body had been removed, ing and aot to rest until they had discovered their enemy
;

tr.

.XX*

one of them undertaking the search, in which he wa-i insisted by the Cobbler who had sewn Cassim's body together, fit last found Ah Haba's house, which he marked
with a piece of chalk, and returned to his fellows. \\ heu Morgiaiia saw the mark, she chalked several other d- us the same manner. The thieves then to attack

coming

the house, and not being able to distinguish it from the others, had to return to their cave and the robber, who they thought had milled them, was put to death. Another robber then undertook the and,
;

enterprise,

liein^

guided

by

the.

Cobbler, marked the door with

Alorgi.ma

marked

tin

hbo

red chalk, but doors in the same

manner, and so defeated them a >econd time; and the second roliberwas put to death. he Captain then went into the town himself, and having found and carefully
'I

ft.-

observed Ah Halm's house, returned to his men, and ordered them to buy nineteen mules and thirty-eight leathern jars, one full of oil and the rest empty. This
they did, and the Captain placing one ot his men in each of the empty jars, loaded the asses with them, and drove

them

into the

town

to
;

Ali

received him hospitably

Buba's house. Ali Haba and the Captain ordered his

men, who remained in their jars in the yard, to come out in the middle of the night it a signal from him. lie

IV"

then went to bed

oil,

and Morgiana happening

oil,

to

need
;

went

to help herself out of the jars of the guest

she found, instead of

every jar but one. Determined that they should not escape, and heating a quantity of oil, she poured some into each jar, killing the robber within. So when the captain gave the siga
in

man

nal to his men, none of them appeared, and going to the jars he found them all dead; so he went his way full of rage and despair, and returned to the cave, and there formed a project of revenge. Next day lie

went

into the town,

furnished with rich

and hiring a warehouse, which he goods, became acquainted with

ir

nnr

in

All Halm's

house.

-.HI, who one day invited liim I.. Ins fatlier's On hearing that tin- nrw truest would cat no

salt with his meat, .Mortriaiia's -nsjueions were ai and she recognised him as the captain of tilAfter dinner .she undertook tn perform a daiiee ln-1'iinthe company, and at the end of it |i.iinteil a daggei at the captain, and then plunged it int'i his heart. AH Halia was vei-y nincli <hoeki-d, until Me irL'iatui

ex])lainecl tlie reasons for her conduct; lie then ller to his son in marriaLre, and they li\ed in

trave-

great

prosperity and happiness es'er after.

\L

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