Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

At the same time, Morgiana wentMorgiana went out at the same time to an apothecary, a maker and seller of medicines. She an apothecary, and asked for a kind of lozenge he prepared, which was very effectivesort of lozenges which he prepared, and were very efficacious in the most dangerous illnesses.disorders. The apothecary inquired who was ill at her master's house. With a sigh, she replied that it wasmaster's? She replied with a sigh, her good master Cassim himself. They did not know what his illness was, buthimself: that they knew not what his disorder was, but that he could neither eat nor speak. Morgiana took the lozenges home. The next morning, she returnedAfter these words, Morgiana carried the lozenges home with her, and the next morning went to the same apothecary. Withapothecary's again, and with tears in her eyes, she eyes, asked for an essence, a concentrated liquid, givenessence which they used to give to sick people only when they were close to death.at the last extremity. "Alas!" said she, taking it from the apothecary, "I am afraid that this remedy will work no better than the lozenges,have no better effect than the lozenges; and that I shall lose my good master." Meanwhile,On the other hand, as Ali Baba and his wife were often seen going between Cassim’s houseto go between Cassim's and their own all day, looking sad. So no one was surprised thathouse all that day, and to seem melancholy, nobody was surprised in the evening to hear the sorrowfullamentable shrieks and cries of Cassim’s wife and Morgiana. Morgiana spread the newsCassim's wife and Morgiana, who gave out everywhere that her master was dead. The next morning, soon after daybreak, Morgiana visited an old cobbler she knew, who repaired shoes andday appeared, Morgiana, who knew a certain old cobbler that opened his stall earlier than other people. She wished him good morning andearly, before other people, went to him, and bidding him good morrow, put a piece of gold into his hand. The cobbler’s name was Baba Mustapha, and he"Well," said Baba Mustapha, which was his name, and who was a merry old fellow. Lookingfellow, looking at the gold, he said: "Well, this is a lucky first payment. What"this is good hansel: what must I do for it? I am ready."

"Baba Mustapha," said Morgiana, "you must take with you your sewing toolstackle, and go with me; but I must tell you, I shall blindfold you when you reach a certaincome to such a place." Baba Mustapha seemed to hesitate a little at these words. "Oh! oh!" replied he, "do you want me to do something against my conscience oryou would have me do something against my conscience or against my honour?" "God forbid!" said Morgiana, putting another piece of gold into his hand, "that I should ask anything that is contrary to your honour; only come along with me, and fear nothing."

Baba Mustapha went with Morgiana. She blindfolded him with a handkerchief and ledMorgiana, who, after she had bound his eyes with a handkerchief, conveyed him to her dead master’s house. She uncovered his eyes only when he was indeceased master's house, and never unloosed his eyes till he had entered the room where she had laid out the remainsput the corpse together. "Baba Mustapha," said she, "you must hurrymake haste and sew my master’s body back togethersew these quarters togetherExplanation: Exception for children: the cobbler still sews the dead body back together for burial. The explicit reference to its four pieces is softened.. When you have finished,; and when you have done, I will give you another piece of gold." WhenAfter Baba Mustapha had finished,finished his task, she blindfolded him again andagain, gave him the third piece of gold, as promised. Urging him to keep the secret, she ledgold as she had promised, and recommending secrecy to him, carried him back to the place where she had first blindfolded him. She took off the bandagefirst bound his eyes, pulled off the bandage, and let him go home, but watched him walk back towards his stall until he was out of sight. She feared that curiosity might make him turn back and followthat he returned toward his stall, till he was quite out of sight, for fear he should have the curiosity to return and track her.

By the time Morgiana had warmed some water to wash the body, Ali Baba came with incense to embalm it, after which it was sewn up in a shroud, a burial cloth.winding-sheet. Not long after, the joiner, a woodworker, brought the bier Ali Baba had ordered, to carry the body to its burial. Morgiana received it at the dooraccording to Ali Baba's orders, brought the bier, which Morgiana received at the door,Explanation: A bier is used to carry a body or coffin; the word can also name a coffin with its stand. The story says the body is put into it without describing its construction further. and helped Ali Baba to put the body into it. Then she went to the mosque to tell ; when she went to the mosque to inform the imam, the prayer leader,the imaum that they were ready. The people at the mosque whose taskof the mosque, whose business it was to wash the dead offered to do their duty. Shedead, offered to perform their duty, but she told them that it had already been done.was done already. Morgiana had hardly reached home when the imamscarcely got home before the imaum and the other ministers of the mosque arrived. Four neighbours carried the body on their shoulders to the burial ground, following the imam as he recitedcorpse on their shoulders to the burying-ground, following the imaum, who recited some prayers. Morgiana, as the dead man’s slave, followed the body,a slave to the deceased, followed the corpse, weeping, beating her breastbreast, and tearing her hair.hair; and Ali Baba came after with some neighbours, who often took turns with the others carrying the body to the burial ground.relieved the others in carrying the corpse to the burying-ground. Cassim’sCassim's wife stayed at home mourning, crying sorrowfullyuttering lamentable cries with the women of the neighbourhood. They cameneighbourhood, who came according to custom during the funeral, as was the custom. Their laments joined hers and filled the whole neighbourhoodand joining their lamentations with hers, filled the quarter far and near with sorrow. In this way,manner Cassim's melancholy death was concealed and hushed up between Ali Baba, his wife, Cassim’s widow and Morgiana concealed the truth about his sorrowful death. They planned so carefully that no oneCassim's widow, and Morgiana, with so much contrivance, that nobody in the city knew or even suspected its cause.had the least knowledge or suspicion of the cause of it.

Three or four days after the funeral, Ali Baba movedremoved his few goods openly to the widow's house. But he carried; but the money he had taken from the robbers there by night. Soon afterwards, his marriage tohe conveyed thither by night: soon after the marriage with his sister-in-law was announced. Since suchpublished, and as these marriages are common in the Muslim faith, no oneMussulman religion, nobody was surprised. AliAs for Cassim's warehouse, Ali Baba gave Cassim’s warehouseit to his own eldest son. He promised that, if his sonson, promising that if he managed it well, he would soon give him a fortune to make a very advantageous marriage suited to his position in life.marry very advantageously according to his situation.

Let us now leave Ali Baba to enjoy the beginning of his good fortune, and return to the forty robbers. They came They came again at the appointed time to visit their hideout in the forest. How surprised they were to find Cassim’s body gone, alongretreat in the forest; but great was their surprise to find Cassim's body taken away, with some of their bags of gold!gold. "We are certainly discovered," said the captain, "and if we do not act quickly, wespeedily apply some remedy, shall gradually lose all the riches we have spent so many years gathering together,which we have, with so much effort and dangerpains and danger, been so many years amassing together. The only explanation for our loss isAll that we can think of the loss which we have sustained is, that the thief we surprised knewwhom we surprised had the secret of opening the door. Luckily, we arriveddoor, and we arrived luckily as he was coming out. But someone has taken his body andout: but his body being removed, and with it some of our money away. Thatmoney, plainly shows that he had an accomplice. Probably only two people discovered our secret. We have caught one, and must search carefully foraccomplice; and as it is likely that there were but two who had discovered our secret, and one has been caught, we must look narrowly after the other. What say you, my lads?" All the robbers thought the captain’s proposal so wise that they agreed to it unanimously. They would put all other business aside, devote themselves to this searchcaptain's proposal so advisable, that they unanimously approved of it, and agreed that they must lay all other enterprises aside, to follow this closely, and not give up until theyit up till they had succeeded.

"I expected no less," said the captain, "from your loyalty. But first, one of you, someone cunning and full of initiative,fidelity: but, first of all, one of you who is artful, and enterprising, must go into into the town disguised as a traveller. See whether anyone is talking abouttraveller, to try if he can hear any talk of the strange death of the man wewhom we have killed, as he deserved. Trydeserved; and endeavour to find out who he waswas, and where he lived. It is essential to find this out. We must do nothing we might regret by revealingThis is a matter of the first importance for us to ascertain, that we may do nothing which we may have reason to repent of, by discovering ourselves in a country where we have lived so long unnoticedunknown. But whoever takes on this task must be warned. We must not be deceived by a false report. Do you all agree that if he betrays us, or even makes anto warn him who shall take upon himself this commission, and to prevent our being deceived by his giving us a false report, I ask you all, if you do not think that in case of treachery, or even error of judgment, he should be put tosuffer death?" Without waiting for his companions to vote, one robber sprang upthe suffrages of his companions, one of the robbers started up, and said: "I accept this condition. Isubmit to this condition, and think it an honour to risk my life by taking on this task. But if I fail, at least remember that I lacked neither courage nor theexpose my life, by taking the commission upon me; but remember, at least, if I do not succeed, that I neither wanted courage nor good will to serve the troop." The captain praised the robber highly. He disguised himself, leftAfter this robber had received great commendations from the captain, he disguised himself, and taking his leave of the troop that night and reached town at daybreak. Henight, went into the town just at daybreak; and walked up and down until he happened upon Baba Mustapha’s stall, which always openeddown, till accidentally he came to Baba Mustapha's stall, which was always open before any of the shops.

Baba Mustapha sat with an awl, a pointed tool for piercing leather,was seated with an awl in his hand, just about to startgoing to work. The robber wished him good morning. Seeing how old he was, hesaluted him, bidding him good morrow; and perceiving that he was old, said: "Honest man, you begin to work very early: can someone your age really see so well? I doubt you could see to stitch even if it were a little lighter.is it possible that one of your age can see so well? I question, even if it were somewhat lighter, whether you could see to stitch."

"Certainly," replied Baba Mustapha, "you must be a stranger, and do not know me; for old as I am, I have extraordinarily good eyes; and you will not doubt it when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a place where I had less light thannot so much light as I have now." The robber was overjoyed. As soon as he had come into town, he had spokenoverjoyed to think that he had addressed himself, at his first coming into the town, to a man who could probablyin all probability could give him the informationintelligence he wanted. "A dead body!" replied he with affected amazement. "Why would you sew up a dead body? You mean you sewed up his shroud.What could you sew up a dead body for? You mean you sewed up his winding-sheet." "No, no," answered Baba Mustapha, "I see what you mean. You want me to tell you everything,perceive your meaning; you want to have me speak out, but you shall know no more." The robber needed no further proofwanted no farther assurance to be persuaded that he had found what he was looking for. He tookdiscovered what he sought. He pulled out a piece of gold, putand putting it into Baba Mustapha’s hand and said:Mustapha's hand, said to him: "I do not want to learn your secret, though I I can assure you I would not reveal itdivulge it, if you trusted me with it. All I ask is that you showit; the only thing which I desire of you is, to do me the favour to shew me the house where you stitched up the dead body."

"Even if I were willingIf I were disposed to do you that favour," replied Baba Mustapha, holding the money in his hand, ready to return it, "I assure you I cannot. I was taken to a certain place, where I was blindfolded. Then I wasblinded, I was then led to the house, and afterward brought back again in the same manner; so you see why I cannot do what you ask.you see, therefore, the impossibility of my doing what you desire."

"Well," replied the robber, "you may, however, remember a little of the way that you were led blindfolded. Come, let me blindfold youblind your eyes at the same place. We will walk together. Perhaps you will recognise part of the way. Everyonetogether; perhaps you may recognise some part; and as everybody ought to be paid for their trouble, so herehis trouble, there is another piece of gold for you. Do what I ask.you; gratify me in what I ask you." So saying, he put another piece of gold into his hand.

The two pieces of gold were great temptations to Baba Mustapha. He looked at them in his hand for them a long time time in his hand, without saying a word, wondering what to do. At last, he took out his pursethinking with himself what he should do; but at last he pulled out his purse, and put them in. "I cannot assure you," said he to the robber, "that I can remember the way exactly; but since you askdesire, I will try what I can do." Baba Mustapha gotAt these words Baba Mustapha rose up, to the robber’s great joy. Withoutgreat joy of the robber, and without shutting his shop, where he had nothing valuable to lose, he led the robber to the place where Morgiana had blindfolded him.bound his eyes. "It was here," said Baba Mustapha, "I was blindfolded; and I turned as you see me." The robber had his handkerchief ready and tied it over Baba Mustapha’s eyes. He walked beside him until he stopped, partly leading him and partly letting the cobbler guiderobber, who had his handkerchief ready, tied it over his eyes, walked by him till he stopped, partly leading, and partly guided by him. "I think," said Baba Mustapha, "I went no farther," and he had now stopped directly at Cassim's house, where Ali Baba then lived. Before removing the blindfold, the thiefThe thief, before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a piece of chalkchalk, which he had ready in his hand. He asked whose house it was. Baba Mustapha said he could not tell him,hand; and then asked him if he knew whose house that was; to which Baba Mustapha replied, that as he did not live in that neighbourhood.neighbourhood he could not tell. Finding that he could learnThe robber, finding he could discover no more from Baba Mustapha, the robber Mustapha, thanked him for his troublethe trouble he had taken, and left him to return to his stall. The robber went backgo back to his stall, while he returned to the forest, sure of a very warm welcome.persuaded that he should be very well received. SoonA little after the robber and Baba Mustapha parted, Morgiana left Ali Baba’s house on an errand. When she returned, she saw the robber’s mark and stopped to examinehad parted, Morgiana went out of Ali Baba's house upon some errand, and upon her return, seeing the mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it. "What can be the meaning of this mark?" said she to herself. "Somebody means my master harm. Whatever the reason for this mark, it is bestintends my master no good: however, with whatever intention it was done, it is advisable to guard against the worst." Accordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk, and marked two or three doors on each side in the same manner, without saying a word to her master or mistress.

Meanwhile,In the meantime the thief rejoined his troop in the forest and told them of his success. The robbers listened with the greatest satisfaction. After praising his efforts, the captain said to them all:forest, and recounted to them his success. All the robbers listened to him with the utmost satisfaction; when the captain, after commending his diligence, addressing himself to them all, said: "Comrades, we have no time to lose: let us set off well armed. To avoid suspicion,armed; but that we may not excite any suspicion, let only one or two should enter the town together. We will meet ingo into the town together, and join at our rendezvous, which shall be the great square. In the meantime, the comrade who brought us this good news and I will find the house and discuss what is best to do.our comrade who brought us the good news, and I, will go and find out the house, that we may consult what had best be done."

They all approved the plan andThis plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready. They set off in pairs and enteredfiled off in parties of two each, and got into the town without the least suspicion. The captain and the robber who had spied there that morning arrivedbeing in the least suspected. The captain, and he who had visited the town in the morning as spy, came in the last. The spyHe led the captain into the street where he had marked Ali Baba’s house. When they reached the first houseBaba's residence; and when they came to the first of the houses which Morgiana had marked, he pointed it out. But the captain noticedobserved that the next door had the same chalk mark. He showedwas chalked in the same manner: and shewing it to his guide and asked which was the right house: this oneguide, asked him which house it was, that, or the first? The guide was so confused that he did not knowconfounded, that he knew not what answer to give, and was still more puzzledmake; but still more puzzled, when he saw five or six houses similarly marked. He swore to the captainassured the captain, with an oath, that he had marked only one, and did not knowbut one, and could not tell who had chalked the rest. Sorest so that he could not distinguish the house wherewhich the cobbler had stoppedstopped at.

Seeing that their plan had failed, the captain went straight to the meeting place. HeThe captain, finding that their design had proved abortive, went directly to the place of rendezvous, and told the first manof his troop whom he met that their efforts had been wasted and theythey had lost their labour, and must return to their cave. When the whole troop had gathered, the captain explained why they were returning. Soon they all declared that their guide deservedtroop was all got together, the captain told them the reason of their returning; and presently the conductor was declared by all worthy of death. He condemned himself, admitting that he should have taken greater care,acknowledging that he ought to have taken better precaution, and prepared to be executed by the man chosen for the task.receive the stroke from him who was appointed to cut off his head.Explanation: Exception for children: the failed guide is still condemned to execution. The explicit detail of his beheading is omitted; the next guide undergoes the same punishment. Another robber, confident that he would do better, immediately volunteered. His offer was accepted, and he bribed Baba Mustapha as the first robber had done. After being shown the house, he marked it with red chalk in a less visible place.of the gang, who promised himself that he should succeed better, immediately presented himself, and his offer being accepted, he went and corrupted Baba Mustapha, as the other had done; and being shewn the house, marked it in a place more remote from sight, with red chalk.

Soon afterwards, Morgiana went out. Nothing escaped her eyes: she spotted the red chalk. After reasoningNot long after, Morgiana, whose eyes nothing could escape, went out, and seeing the red chalk, and arguing with herself as before, she made matching marksshe had done before, marked the other neighbours' houses in the same place on her neighbours’ houses.and manner. When the robber returnedThe robber, at his return to his company, he boasted of his precaution. He thought it a sure way to distinguish Ali Baba’svalued himself much on the precaution he had taken, which he looked upon as an infallible way of distinguishing Ali Baba's house from the others. Theothers; and the captain and all the robbersof them thought it must succeed. They entered the town as cautiously as before. Butconveyed themselves into the town with the same precaution as before; but when the robber and captain reachedhis captain came to the street, they met the same difficulty. Thefound the same difficulty: at which the captain was enraged, and the robber was as confused as the first spy had been.in as great confusion as his predecessor. SoThus the captain and his troop had to retreatwere forced to retire a second time, much more dissatisfied. The unfortunate robber responsible for the mistake willingly submitted to the same punishment.and much more dissatisfied; while the unfortunate robber, who had been the author of the mistake, underwent the same punishment; which he willingly submitted to.

The captain hadcaptain, having lost two brave men. He feared losing too many of his troop if he went on usingfellows of his troop, was afraid of diminishing it too much by pursuing this plan to find the house of the man who had robbed them.get information of the residence of their plunderer. Their example showed him that, on such occasions,He found by their example that their heads were not asso good as their hands. So he decided to take on this important task himself.hands on such occasions; and therefore resolved to take upon himself the important commission. He went to Baba Mustapha, who did him the same service as he had doneAccordingly, he went and addressed himself to Baba Mustapha, who did him the same service he had done to the other robbers. He put nodid not set any particular mark on the house. Instead, he passed it often and examined it so carefully that he could not possiblyhouse, but examined and observed it so carefully, by passing often by it, that it was impossible for him to mistake it.

Satisfied with his success and knowing what he needed to know, the captainThe captain, well satisfied with his attempt, and informed of what he wanted to know, returned to the forest. He enteredforest; and when he came into the cave, where his troop waited, andthe troop waited for him, said: "Now, comrades, nothing can stop us taking full revenge. I am sureprevent our full revenge, as I am certain of the house, and on the way here Iin my way hither I have thought how to carry it out. But if anyone can think of a better plan, let him shareput it into execution, but if any one can form a better expedient, let him communicate it." He He then told them his plan. When they approved, hecontrivance; and as they approved of it, ordered them to visit the nearby villagesgo into the villages about, and buy nineteen mules and thirty-eight large jars made of leather:mules, with thirty-eight large leather jars,Explanation: These jars are made of leather, as this edition explicitly says. That explains why the robbers can plan to cut them open with knives. one full of oil, oil, and the others empty. In two or three days' time the robbers had purchased the mules and jars. The, and as the mouths of the jars were rather too narrow for his purpose, so the captain had them widened. Hethe captain caused them to be widened; and after having put one of his men into each, with suitable weapons, leaving the undone seam open so they could breathe. Thenthe weapons which he thought fit, leaving open the seam which had been undone to leave them room to breathe, he rubbed the outside of the jarsjars on the outside with oil from the full vessel. Once all was ready,Things being thus prepared, when the nineteen mules were loaded with the jars holding thirty-seven robbers,thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil. The captain set off as their driver and reached town at dusk,oil, the captain, as their driver, set out with them, and reached the town by the dusk of the evening, as he had intended. He led them through the streets to Ali Baba’s house, intending to knock. But he found Ali Baba sitting at his door after supper, taking thetill he came to Ali Baba's, at whose door he designed to have knocked; but was prevented by his sitting there after supper to take a little fresh air. He stopped his mules and said to him:mules, addressed himself to him, and said: "I have brought some oil a longgreat way, to sell at tomorrowto-morrow's market; and it is now so late that I do not know where to lodge. If it would not trouble you, please let me spendI should not be troublesome to you, do me the favour to let me pass the night with you. I would be most grateful foryou, and I shall be very much obliged by your hospitality."

AliThough Ali Baba had seen the robbers’ captain in the forest and heard him speak. Butcaptain of the robbers in the forest, and had heard him speak, it was hardly possible to recognise him disguised as an oil merchant.know him in the disguise of an oil-merchant. He told him he should be welcome, and immediately opened his gates for the mules to go into the yard. He called a slave and ordered him to stable the mulesAt the same time he called to a slave, and ordered him, when the mules were unloaded, to put them into the stable, and give them fodder once they were unloaded. Then he went to Morgiana and asked her to preparefodder; and then went to Morgiana, to bid her get a good supper. He did more. When he saw that the captain had unloaded his mulesmules, and that they had beenwere put into the stables as he had ordered, he noticed that the captainand he was looking for a place to spendpass the night in the open air. Heair, he brought him into the hall where he received his guests, telling him he would not let him stay in the courtyardcompany, telling him he would not suffer him to be in the court. The captain made excuses, pretending he did not want to be a nuisance. In fact, he wanted the freedom to carry out his plan. He gave in only after repeated, urgent requests.excused himself on pretence of not being troublesome; but really to have room to execute his design, and it was not till after the most pressing importunity that he yielded. Ali Baba was not content with keeping, not content to keep company, till supper was ready, with the man who planned to kill him company only until supper was ready. Hehad a design on his life, continued talking with him until the meal was over, repeating his offers of helptill it was ended, and repeating his offer of service. The captain gotrose up at the same time as his host. Whilewith his host; and while Ali Baba went to speak to Morgiana, he slippedMorgiana he withdrew into the yard, pretending to check onunder pretence of looking at his mules. Ali Baba reminded Morgiana to take care of his guest, thenBaba, after charging Morgiana afresh to take care of his guest, said to her: "TomorrowTo-morrow morning I intend to go to the bath before daybreak. Make sure my bathing linens aredesign to go to the bath before day; take care my bathing linens be ready, give them to Abdoollah," which was the slave's name, "and make me some good broth for whenagainst I return." After this he went to bed.

Meanwhile, the captain leftIn the meantime, the captain went from the stable to give his men their orders. Going from the first jarpeople orders what to do; and beginning at the first jar, and so on to the last, he last, said to each man: "As soon as I throw some stones out of the window of the room where I am sleeping, be sure to cut the jar open with the knife you are carrying for the purpose. Comechamber window where I lie, do not fail to cut the jar open with the knife you have about you for the purpose, and come out, and I will immediately join you." Then he returned to the house. Morgiana took a light and ledAfter this he returned into the house, when Morgiana, taking up a light, conducted him to his room,chamber, where she left him. To avoid suspicion, he soon put out the light and layhim; and he, to avoid any suspicion, put the light out soon after, and laid himself down in his clothes, ready to get up quickly.that he might be the more ready to rise.

Remembering Ali Baba’s orders, Morgiana preparedMorgiana, remembering Ali Baba's orders, got his bathing linens and told Abdoollah to put the pot on for the broth. Butready, and ordered Abdoollah to set on the pot for the broth; but while she was makingpreparing it, the lamp went out. Thereout, and there was no more oil in the house, nor any candles. She did not know what to doWhat to do she did not know, for the broth must be made. Abdoollah seeing her very uneasy, said: "Do not fret and tormenttease yourself, but go into the yard, and take some oil out of one of the jars." Morgiana thanked Abdoollah, took the oil potAbdoollah for his advice, took the oil-pot, and went into the yard. As she approachedyard; when as she came nigh the first jar, the robber insidewithin said softly: "Is it time?" Though the robber spoke quietly, his voice startled Morgiana all the more: when unloading the mules, the captain had removed the lids fromlow, Morgiana was struck with the voice the more, because the captain, when he unloaded the mules, had taken the lids off this and all the other jars to give his men air. They were very uncomfortable, with barelyair to his men, who were ill enough at their ease, almost wanting room to breathe. Many people, asAs much surprised as Morgiana naturally was to findat finding a man in a jar instead of oil, would have cried out and raised the alarm. But Morgiana immediately understood that she must keep silent and act quickly without noise. She thought at once of a way, collected herself without showingjar, instead of the oil she wanted, many would have made such an outcry as to have given an alarm; whereas Morgiana comprehending immediately the importance of keeping silence, and the necessity of applying a speedy remedy without noise, conceived at once the means, and collecting herself without shewing the least emotion, and emotion, answered: "Not yet, but soonpresently." She went in this manner to all the jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.

In this way, Morgiana discoveredBy this means, Morgiana found that her master Ali BabaBaba, who thought that he had entertained an oil merchant, had admitted thirty-eight robbers, though he thought he had welcomed an oil merchant. She took the false merchant to berobbers into his house, regarding this pretended merchant as their captain. She filled her oil pot as fast as she could and returned to the kitchen. Once she had litmade what haste she could to fill her oil-pot, and returned into her kitchen; where, as soon as she had lighted her lamp, she took a large kettle back to the oil jar. She filled it andgreat kettle, went again to the oil-jar, filled the kettle, set it on a large wood fire.wood-fire, and When the oil boiled, she poured it into each jar, killing the robber inside.as soon as it boiled went and poured enough into every jar to stifle and destroy the robber within.Explanation: Exception for children: Morgiana still kills the robbers with boiling oil. The explicit description of suffocation is omitted; the lethal action and its result remain.

Having carried out this action, worthy of her courage, without any noise, MorgianaWhen this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed without any noise, she returned into the kitchen with the empty kettle. She; and having put out the great fire she had made to boil the oil, leavingand leaving just enough to make the broth. Then shebroth, put out the lamp and remained silent. She resolvedalso, and remained silent; resolving not to go to bed until she had watchedrest till she had observed what might follow through a kitchen window thatwindow of the kitchen, which opened into the yard.

She had not waited long when the captain got up and opened the window. There was no light, noise or movementbefore the captain of the robbers got up, opened the window, and finding no light, and hearing no noise, or any one stirring in the house, so he gave the agreed signal, throwing little stones. He was sure from the sound that several hit the jars.gave the appointed signal, by throwing little stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the sound they gave. He listened but heard and saw no signthen listened, but not hearing or perceiving anything whereby he could judge that his companions were moving. Growing very uneasy, he threw stonesstirred, he began to grow very uneasy, threw stones again a second and a third time. He could not understand whyalso a third time, and could not comprehend the reason that none of them answeredshould answer his signal. Alarmed, he creptMuch alarmed, he went softly down into the yard and wentyard, and going to the first jar. He askedjar, whilst asking the robber, whom he thought still alive, whether he was ready. Then healive, if he was in readiness, smelt the hot boiled oil, which sent sent forth a steam out of the jar. He suspected that his plot to murder Ali Baba and plunder his house had beenHence he suspected that his plot to murder Ali Baba and plunder his house was discovered. He examinedExamining all the jars one by one and found all his men dead. The oil missing fromafter another, he found that all the members of his gang were dead; and by the oil he missed out of the last jar told him how they had died.guessed the means and manner of their death. His failure drove him to fury and despair. HeEnraged to despair at having failed in his design, he forced the lock of a door door that led from the yard to the garden, climbed over the walls and escaped.and climbing over the walls, made his escape.

MorgianaWhen Morgiana heard no noise and waited for some time, butnoise, and found, after waiting some time, that the captain did not return. Shereturn, she concluded that he had escaped through the garden ratherchosen rather to make his escape by the garden than the street door, which was double-locked. Pleased and satisfied to have savedSatisfied and pleased to have succeeded so well, in saving her master and his family so well,family, she went to bed.