Ali Baba And Forty Thieves

There were once two brothers. Kassim and Ali baba lived in Africa. Kassim was rich and greedy. His brothe Ali Baba was kind and he worked very hard, but he was poor. Every day Ali Baba went to the forest with his donkeys. There he cut wood which he sold in the market.
One day Ali Baba was cutting wood when he saw a big cloud of dust in the path in front of him. It was a wild, lonely part of the forest and Ali baba was a little frigtened. He hid his donkeys behind a big rock. Then he climbed a tree and hid among the branches. Through the young leaves he saw forty men on black horses. They stopped just under Ali Baba's tree, but they did not look up. They looked at a big wall of rock a few yards away.
Open Seame ! called the leader of the men. The wall of rock opened wide and Ali Baba saw a bags off their horses cave. The men took some heavy bags off their horses and carried them into the cave. They were robbers, and bags were full of gold, selver snd jewels.
They are hiding their treasure, said Ali Baba to himself. He saw the robbers come out again. They climbed on their horses. Their chief called 'Close Seame! and the door of the cave shut like magic. Then the robbers rode away in a cloud of dust.

When the air was still and quiet again, Ali Baba climbed down from his tree. He stood before the wall of rock and said, 'Open Seame!! At once the cave door opened and Ali Baba went inside. The cave was full of treasure.
Ali Baba took a small bag of gold. It was almost too heavy for him to move. Then he put his treasure on the back of one of his donkeys. He arranged some wood on top, then he went home. His wife was very excited and she began to count the gold. There was so much, she got as far as a hundred, then she forgot, and had to start again.
I can't count all this gold, she said to her husband..

There is enough to make us rich, said Ali Baba. Why do you want to count it ?
But his wife was unhappy. She needed to know just how rich she was. She went to Kassim's wife and borrowed her scales.
Why does Ali Baba's wife want my scales ? said Kassim's wife. She rubbed a little butter on the scales.
Kassim's wife hated mysteries, she had to know all about ecerything.
Ali Baba's wife ran home and weighed the gold coins. Then she gave the scales back to Kassim's wife. She did not notice that a small gold coin was stuck to the scales.

Kassim's wife showed him the coin. I thought your brother was a poor man? she cried. But now his wife has so much gold that she has to weight it ! Kassim was angry.
Where did you get your gold, brother ? He asked Ali Baba.
Ali Baba had to tell him the story of the robbers and the cave.
At once Kassim wanted the whole treasure for himself. For days he followed Ali Baba. At last Ali Baba went to the cave to get another small bag of the gold. Kassim hid behind a rock and watched him. 'Open Seame" said Ali Baba and the door of the cave opened.
I must remember those words, said Kassim to himself. Next day he went to the wall of rock and said, 'Open Seame" The cave door opened and Kassim ran inside. "Close Seame" he called. Now he was alone with the treasure. He filled a huge bag with jewels and went to the door of cave. But he could not remember the magic words.

'Open coffee! he shouted. Nothing happened.
'Open genie! still nothing happened.
He tried again and again. At last the door opened and robbers came in. They were bringing more treasure to the cave.

When the robbers saw Kassim they look their knives and cut him into small pieces. Then they went away again. Night came. and Kassim did not come home for dinner. His wife went to Ali Baba. Ali Baba realized that his brother was in danger. He hurried to the cave. He found Kassim's body in pieces on the floor. He collected the pieces and took them house.
As soon as he was rich enough, he found a good, clever servant girl. Her name was Morgiana and she helped Ali Baba's wife in the house. When Ali Baba came home with his brother's body, he asked Morgiana to help.
Sir, She said, you and your wife have been very kind to me.
I will do anything you ask me. I want to help, Ali Baba showed her the little pieces of Kassim's bady,
What can we do ? He asked.
People will ask questions. Perhaps the robber cheif will hear about it. Then he will come and kill us all.
Leave it to me, said Morgiana. She found a clever tailor. She covered his eyes and led him at night to a dark room in Ali Baba's house. There in the dark, the tailor sewed the body together.
No one will know that Kassim was the body in the cave, said Ali Baba to himself. There has been an accident, he told Kassim's wife. They buried the body very quietly and no one asked any questions. When the robbers came back to the cave, the body was gone.

Someone came in while we were away, said the cheif, that means someone knows the magic words. We must find him and kill him.
The robbers asked a lot of questions in the town. Did anyone bury a body, that wascut up in pieces? they asked.
No one knew anything. Then one day the robber cheif tore his coat. The tailor who sewed it together worked by a very small weak lamp. How can you sew with so little light ? asked the robber cheif.
I don't need much light. I can sew with my eyes shut. Last week I sewed a man's body together in dark. He told the robber cheif his story.
Lead me there, said the robber cheif.
He gave the tailor a gold coin and covered his eyes with a cloth. The tailor led him to Ali Baba's house. The robber cheif took a piece of chalk out of his pocket and marked a large, while cross on th door.
Tomorrow, said the robber cheif to his men, we will burrn that house and our enemy too. Exrly morning Morgiana went outside to clean the door-step. She found the white chalk cross. She did not know what it mean, but she did not like it. she took another piece of chalk and marked every door in the street.

When the robbers arrived, they did not know what to do. Their cheif went back to the tailor. Again he paid the tailor to lead him to Ali Baba's house. This time he was sure about it.
Listen to my plan, he told his men. I shall pretend that I am selling oil. We'll get twenty donkeys and forty oil jars. Each of you must hide in on of the jar. When it is time to attack, I will lift the lide. Then you must
jump out and kill everyone.

The thirty-nine robbers hid in the oil jars. Their cheif filled the fortieth jar with oil. That evening he knocked at Ali Baba's door.
Good friend ! he said!!
My twenty donkeys and I have nowhere to spend the night. If I give you that jar of oil, will you let us sleep in your yard ?
Keep your oil, my friend, said Ali Baba. You are welcome. Give weter to your donkeys, then come and eat with us.

Morgiana was cooking the dinner. She needed more oil and the shops were already shut. There are forty jars of oil in the yard, she said to himself. No one will mind if i take a little.
She took a cup out into the yard. she opened the nearest jar. Is it time ? said a man's voice. At first Morgiana thought it was a genie. But she was brave as well as clever. No, she said to robber in the jar.
She went to the next jar, and the next. The same thing happened. At last she found the one jar that contained oil.

Morgiana took her cup of oil into the kitchen. Men do not usually hide in oil jar, she thought. I must do something about this. She took her biggest pot from the kitchen and filled it with oil from the jar in the yard. She put the pot of oil on the kitchen fire until the oil was boiling. Carefully she carried it out into the yard. Carefuuly she poured a little hot oil into each jar. Then she went back to the kitchen and finished cooking the dinner.

When everyone else was in bed the robber cheif went out into the yard. He lifted the lid of the first jar. It is time, he said. There was no answer. The same thing happened the next time, and the time after that.
All this thirty-nine men were dead.
The next morning Ali Baba's guest appeared to be in a great hurry. He forgot to thank Ali Baba for his kind welcome and good dinner. He just rode away his twenty donkeys and his forty jats. Ali Baba and his wife felt hert and sad. Only Morgiana understood.
Later she told Ali Baba her story. You have saved our lives, said Ali Baba.
You are not my servant and more. From today you are my dear daughter. Ali Baba's wife was very pleased, and so was his young son. Morgiana was pretty as well as clever and the young man fall in love with her.
For a whole year they all lived together in peace. But one day the robber cheif came back. This time he wore the clothes and jewels of a rich man. He pretended to feel ill outside Ali Baba's house. Of course, Ali Baba invited him to come in.
That night Morgiana cooked a wonderful dinner. The stranger saw her pretty face and ate her good food.
He at once offered Ali Baba a good price for her. I cannot sell Morgiana, said Ali Baba. I have accepted her as my daugher.
Then let me make my wife, said the stranger. Ali Baba's son gave him a black, angry look. Ali Baba was very unhappy. In the East, no one likes to say 'No' to a guest.

Would you like to marry me, my little suger-cake? said he stranger. Morgiana pretended she was pleased, but her eyes were hard and cold. The stranger tried to take her in his arms. As he did so, his coat opened. Morgian quick eyyes saw a long knlfe in his belt.

Let me dance for you, she said to the stranger. She went to her room and put on a beautiful dress and a veil of many colours. She carried a little silver drum in one hand and a small knife in the other.
Morgiana danced like a leaf in the wind. As she danced she beat the drum and waved the knife above her hand, Faster and faster she flew. The rich stranger tried to catch her, he wanted to hold her beautiful body in this arms.
Suddenly Morgiana threw herself at the stranger. She buried the knife in his heart.
What have you done? cried Ali Baba.
It is the robber cheif, father, said Morgiana. She opened the dead man's coat and showed Ali Baba the knife.

Now we can live in peace at last ! said Ali Baba. And Morgiana saved us all. She married Ali Baba's son,
it was a happy wedding for a long time they lived together in peace.
After a year Ali Baba felt brave enogh to go back to the magic cave. Long grass and tall plants covered the wall of rock, but when Ali Baba said "Open Seame" the cave opened as asily as before.
Once more the treasure lay at Ali Baba's feet.
Ali Baba became the richest man in the city. No one was unhappy with him because he was never greedy. He built a palace for his wife and himself. He bought a farm for his son and Morgiana. He also gave a lot of money to the poor and stick people. Every night he knelt down besid hisd bed and thanked God for his good luck.....