Ali Baba, or the Forty Thieves - ebook

In a town of Persia lived two brothers, sons of a poor man; one named Cassim, the other Ali Baba. Cassim, the elder, married a wife with a considerable fortune, and lived at his ease; but the wife of Ali Baba was as poor as himself: they dwelt in a mean cottage in the suburbs, and he maintained his family by cutting wood. Ali Baba was in the forest preparing to load his asses with the faggots he had cut, when he saw a troop of horsemen approaching. He hastily climbed a large thick tree, and hid himself among the branches. Ali Baba counted forty of them; each took a loaded portmanteau from his horse, and turning to the rock, said, "Open, Sesame;" immediately a door opened, the robbers passed in, when the door shut of itself. In a short time the door opened again, and the robbers came out, who said, "Shut, Sesame." The door instantly closed. Ali Baba ventured down, and approaching the rock, said, "Open, Sesame." Immediately the door flew open. He brought his asses, and took as many bags of gold coin as they could carry.

Ali Baba told his brother the secret of the cave. Cassim rose early next morning, and set out with ten mules loaded with great chests. He found the rock, and having said, "Open Sesame," gained admission, where he found more treasures than he expected, which made him forget the word that caused the door to open. Presently he heard the sound of horses' feet, which he concluded to be the robbers, who instantly put him to death. Ali Baba drove to the forest, and on entering the cave, he found the body of his brother cut into quarters. He took the quarters, and put them upon one of his asses, and delivered the body to Cassim's wife. Morgiana, a female slave in his brother's house, was sent early next morning to a poor cobbler, and gave him two pieces of gold to go with her blindfolded; taking him into the room where the body was lying, bade him sew the mangled limbs together. Mustapha obeyed, having received two pieces of gold, and was led blindfolded the same way back.