The Forty Thieves · page 21 2101Any other slave but Morgiana, on finding a man in the jar instead of the oil she wanted, would have screamed and made a noise; but she, knowing the danger her master was in, bethought herself of a plan, and answered quietly: “Not yet, but presently.”102She went to all the jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.103She now saw that her master, thinking to entertain an oil merchant, had let thirty-eight robbers into his house.104She filled her oil pot, went back to the kitchen, and, having lit her lamp, went again to the oil jar and filled a large kettle full of oil.105When it boiled she went and poured enough oil into every jar to stifle and kill the robber inside.106When this brave deed was done she went back to the kitchen, put out the fire and the lamp, and waited to see what would happen.107In a quarter of an hour the Captain of the robbers awoke, got up, and opened the window.108As all seemed quiet, he threw down some little pebbles which hit the jars.109He listened, and as none of his men seemed to stir he grew uneasy, and went down into the yard.110On going to the first jar and saying, “Are you asleep?” he smelt the hot boiled oil, and knew at once that his plot to murder Ali Baba and his household had been discovered.111He found all the gang was dead, and, missing the oil out of the last jar, became aware of the manner of their death.112He then forced the lock of a door leading into a garden, and climbing over several walls made his escape.113Morgiana heard and saw all this, and, rejoicing at her success, went to bed and fell asleep.114At daybreak Ali Baba arose, and, seeing the oil jars still there, asked why the merchant had not gone with his mules.115Morgiana bade him look in the first jar and see if there was any oil.116Seeing a man, he started back in terror.117“Have no fear,” said Morgiana; “the man cannot harm you: he is dead.”118Ali Baba, when he had recovered somewhat from his astonishment, asked what had become of the merchant.119“Merchant!” said she, “he is no more a merchant than I am!” and she told him the whole story, assuring him that it was a plot of the robbers of the forest, of whom only three were left, and that the white and red chalk marks had something to do with it.120Ali Baba at once gave Morgiana her freedom, saying that he owed her his life.121They then buried the bodies in Ali Baba’s garden, while the mules were sold in the market by his slaves.122The Captain returned to his lonely cave, which seemed frightful to him without his lost companions, and firmly resolved to avenge them by killing Ali Baba.123He dressed himself carefully, and went into the town, where he took lodgings in an inn.124In the course of a great many journeys to the forest he carried away many rich stuffs and much fine linen, and set up a shop opposite that of Ali Baba’s son.125He called himself Cogia Hassan, and as he was both civil and well dressed he soon made friends with Ali Baba’s son, and through him with Ali Baba, whom he was continually asking to sup with him.126Ali Baba, wishing to return his kindness, invited him into his house and received him smiling, thanking him for his kindness to his son.127When the merchant was about to take his leave Ali Baba stopped him, saying: “Where are you going, sir, in such haste?128Will you not stay and sup with me?”129The merchant refused, saying that he had a reason; and, on Ali Baba’s asking him what that was, he replied: “It is, sir, that I can eat no victuals that have any salt in them.”130“If that is all,” said Ali Baba, “let me tell you that there shall be no salt in either the meat or the bread that we eat to-night.”131He went to give this order to Morgiana, who was much surprised.132“Who is this man,” she said, “who eats no salt with his meat?”133“He is an honest man, Morgiana,” returned her master; “therefore do as I bid you.”134But she could not withstand a desire to see this strange man, so she helped Abdallah to carry up the dishes, and saw in a moment that Cogia Hassan was the robber Captain, and carried a dagger under his garment.135“I am not surprised,” she said to herself, “that this wicked man, who intends to kill my master, will eat no salt with him; but I will hinder his plans.”136She sent up the supper by Abdallah, while she made ready for one of the boldest acts that could be thought on.137When the dessert had been served, Cogia Hassan was left alone with Ali Baba and his son, whom he thought to make drunk and then to murder them.138Morgiana, meanwhile, put on a head-dress like a dancing-girl’s, and clasped a girdle round her waist, from which hung a dagger with a silver hilt, and said to Abdallah: “Take your tabor, and let us go and divert our master and his guest.”139Abdallah took his tabor and played before Morgiana until they came to the door, where Abdallah stopped playing and Morgiana made a low courtesy.140“Come in, Morgiana,” said Ali Baba, “and let Cogia Hassan see what you can do”; and, turning to Cogia Hassan, he said: “She’s my slave and my housekeeper.”141Cogia Hassan was by no means pleased, for he feared that his chance of killing Ali Baba was gone for the present; but he pretended great eagerness to see Morgiana, and Abdallah began to play and Morgiana to dance.142After she had performed several dances she drew her dagger and made passes with it, sometimes pointing it at her own breast, sometimes at her master’s, as if it were part of the dance.143Suddenly, out of breath, she snatched the tabor from Abdallah with her left hand, and, holding the dagger in her right hand, held out the tabor to her master.144Ali Baba and his son put a piece of gold into it, and Cogia Hassan, seeing that she was coming to him, pulled out his purse to make her a present, but while he was putting his hand into it Morgiana plunged the dagger into his heart.145“Unhappy girl!” cried Ali Baba and his son, “what have you done to ruin us?”146“It was to preserve you, master, not to ruin you,” answered Morgiana.147“See here,” opening the false merchant’s garment and showing the dagger; “see what an enemy you have entertained!148Remember, he would eat no salt with you, and what more would you have?149Look at him! he is both the false oil merchant and the Captain of the Forty Thieves.”150Ali Baba was so grateful to Morgiana for thus saving his life that he offered her to his son in marriage, who readily consented, and a few days after the wedding was celebrated with greatest splendor.151At the end of a year Ali Baba, hearing nothing of the two remaining robbers, judged they were dead, and set out to the cave.152The door opened on his saying: “Open Sesame!”153He went in, and saw that nobody had been there since the Captain left it.154He brought away as much gold as he could carry, and returned to town.155He told his son the secret of the cave, which his son handed down in his turn, so the children and grandchildren of Ali Baba were rich to the end of their lives.156(1)157(1) Arabian Nights.1 2← previousLittle Thumbnext →Hansel and Grettel↑ back to The Blue Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg503/34/page/2/