LESSON 33 ALI BABA

ALI BABA

Ⅰ

THERE once lived in a town of Persia two brothers, one named Cassim and the other Ali Baba. Their father divided a small inheritance ［1］ equally between them. Cassim married a very rich wife, and became a wealthy merchant. Ali Baba married a woman as poor as himself, and lived by cutting wood and bringing it upon three asses into the town to sell.

One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, and had just cut wood enough to load his asses, he saw at a distance a great cloud of dust, which seemed to be coming near him. He watched it closely, and soon saw a body of horsemen, who he suspected ［2］ might be robbers. He therefore made up his mind to leave his asses and save himself. He climbed up a large tree, planted on a high rock, whose branches were thick enough to hide him and yet enabled him to see all that passed without being discovered.

The troop, who were to the number of forty, all well mounted and armed, came to the foot of the rock on which the tree stood, and there dismounted. Every man unbridled ［3］ his horse, tied him to some shrub, and hung about his neck a bag of corn.

‘OPEN, SESAME.’ AT ONCE A DOOR FLEW OPEN IN THE ROCK.

Then each of them took off his saddle-bag, which seemed to Ali Baba to be full of gold and silver, from its weight. One, whom he took to be their captain, came under the tree in which Ali Baba was hidden; and making his way through some shrubs, pronounced these words: "Open, Sesame!"

As soon as the captain of the robbers had thus spoken, a door opened in the rock; and after he had made all his troop enter before him, he followed them, when the door shut again of itself.

The robbers stayed some time within the rock, during which Ali Baba, afraid of being caught, remained in the tree.

At last the door opened again, and as the captain went in last, so he came out first, and stood to see them all pass by; when Ali Baba heard him make the door close by pronouncing these words, "Shut, Sesame!" Every man at once went and bridled his horse, fastened his bag, and mounted again. When the captain saw them all ready he put himself at their head, and they returned the way they had come.

Ali Baba followed them with his eyes as far as he could see them; and afterwards stayed a long time before he came down from the tree. He remembered the words the captain of the robbers used to cause the door to open and shut, and wished to see what his pronouncing them would do. So he went among the shrubs, stood before the door and said, "Open, Sesame!" The door instantly flew wide open.

Ali Baba, who expected a dark, dismal cavern, was surprised to see a large chamber, which was well-lighted by an opening at the top of the rock, and in which were all sorts of things,—rich bales of silk, brocade, and valuable carpets, piled upon one another; gold and silver bars in great heaps, and money in bags. The sight of all these riches made him suppose that this cave must have been occupied for ages by robbers, who had followed one another.

Ali Baba went boldly into the cave, and gathered as much of the gold coin, which was in bags, as he thought his three asses could carry. When he had loaded them with the bags, he laid wood over them in such a manner that they could not be seen. When he had passed in and out as often as he wished, he stood before the door, and upon his pronouncing the words "Shut, Sesame!" the door closed of itself. He then made the best of his way to town.

When Ali Baba got home, he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the gates very carefully, threw off the wood that covered the panniers ［4］ , carried the bags into his house, and ranged them in order before his wife. He then emptied the bags, which raised such a great heap of gold as dazzled his wife's eyes, and then he told her the whole story from beginning to end, and advised her to keep it secret.

The wife rejoiced greatly at their good fortune, and wished to count all the gold piece by piece.

Wife, replied Ali Baba, "you do not know what a work you have got to do when you start to count the money; you will never finish. I will dig a hole and bury it. There is no time to be lost."

You are in the right, husband, replied she; "but let us know, as nearly as possible, how much we have. I will borrow a small measure and measure it, while you dig the hole."

Away the wife ran to her brother-in-law Cassim, who lived just by, and asked his wife to lend her a measure for a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her whether she would have a great or a small one. The other asked for a small one. She bade her stay a little, and she would readily fetch one.

The sister-in-law did so, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty, she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure. She therefore put some suet at the bottom of the measure and brought it to her, with an excuse that she was sorry that she had made her wait so long, but that she could not find it sooner.

Ali Baba's wife went home, set the measure upon the heap of gold, filled it and emptied it often upon the sofa, till she had done, when she was very well satisfied to find the number of measures so many as they were, and went to tell her husband, who had almost finished digging the hole. While Ali Baba was burying the gold, his wife carried the measure back again, but without taking notice that a piece of gold had stuck to the bottom.

Sister, said she, giving it to her again, "you see that I have not kept your measure long. I am obliged to you for it, and return it with thanks."

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［1 ］ inheritance: Something handed down by a person at his death.

［2 ］ suspected: Doubted.

［3 ］ unbridled: Free; without check.

［4 ］ pannier: A basket placed on a beast of burden.