Arabian Nights: 279th Night: Ali Baba & Forty Thieves - 2

The following night Shahrazad said:

When Ali Baba got his home, he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the gates carefully, threw off the wood, carried the bags into his house, and ranged them in order before his wife.  He then emptied the bags which raised such a heap of gold as dazzled his wife's eyes.  He told her the whole adventure from beginning to end, and recommended to keep it a secret.  The wife rejoiced greatly at their good fortune and began to count all the pieces one by one.  "Wife," said Ali Baba, you do not know what you are doing, you pretend to count the money, a job you have never done in your life.  I will dig a hole and bury it.  There is no time to be lost."

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

The wife ran to their brother-in-law Kasim, who lived hard by and addressing his wife asked to lend a measure for a little while.  The sister-in-law lend her the measure, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty, she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure, and artfully put some suet at the bottom of the measure.

Ali Baba's wife went home, set measure on.the heap of gold, filled it and emptied often upon  the divan and each time she made a certain measure she would go to her husband to acknowledge it, while he had almost finished digging hole.  While Ali Baba was burying the gold his wife carried the measure back again to her sister-in-law, 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."

As soon as she was gone, Kasim's wife looked at the bottom of the measure, and was amazed to see a piece of gold sticking to it.  Immediately she was possessed by envy.  "What!"  She said, "has Ali Baba so much gold as to measure it.  Where from he got all this wealth?"

When her husband Kasim came from his shop, she said to him, "Kasim, I know you think yourself rich, but Ali Baba is richer than you.  He does not count his money, he measures it." Then she told him the trick she used to make the discovery, and showed him the piece of gold.  It was so old that they could not decide in whose mint the coin was made.

Kasim, after his marriage of a rich widow never took care to know the situation of his brother. He fully neglected him.  Instead of being pleased, he conceived a base envy at his brother's prosperity.  He could not sleep at all that night, and went to his brother in the early morning.

"Ali Baba," he said, "I am surprised at you; you pretend to be miserably poor, and yet you measure gold.  My wife found this at the bottom of the measure you borrowed yesterday."

Ali Baba understood that Kasim and his wife, through his own wife's folly got wind of our fortune. But what was done could not be undone.  Therefore, without showing least of surprise or trouble, he confessed all and offered his brother part of his treasures.

Next morning, long before the sun rise Kasim set out to the forest with ten mules bearing big chest which he intended to fill, and followed the road which Ali Baba had indicated.  He reached the rock and found the place by by the tree and by other marks which his brother had furnished him. When he reached the entrance of the cavern, he pronounced the words, "Open Simsim" The door immediately opened, and when he was in closed upon him. He examined the cavern, and was rejoiced to find out the riches that was more than he expected.  He quickly filled as many bags as he could, and carried them to the door. Here he forgot the words that could open the door of the cavern.  Instead of Simsim he pronounced the words, "Open, Barley!" and was much amazed to find that the door remained fast shut. Then he tried with the names of several other grains, but still the door did not open.  The more he tried to remember the word the more his memory was confounded.  He threw down the bags he had loaded himself with, and walked distractedly up and down the cave, without having any regard to the riches around him.

About noon the robbers visited the cave.  At some distance they saw Kasim's mules straggling about the rock, with great chests on their backs.  Alarmed at this they galloped full speed to the cave.  They drove away the mules, who strayed  through the forest so far, so they were soon out of sight, and then with naked sabres in their hands, they approached the door, which was opened at the captain's pronouncement of appropriate words.

Kasim, who heard the noise of the horses' feet, at once guessed the arrival of the robbers, resolved to make one effort for his life.  He rushed to the door, and no sooner saw the door open, than he ran and threw the leader down; but he could not escape the other robbers, who with their scimitar, soon deprived him of life.

The first care of the robbers after this was to examine the cave.  They found all the bags which Kasim had brought to the door, to be ready to load his mules, and carried them back to their places, but they did not miss what Ali Baba had taken away before.  Then holding a council, and deliberating upon this occurence, they guessed that Kasim, why he was in, could not get out again, but could not imagine how he had learned the secret word by which alone he could enter.  So to terrify any person who should attempt the same thing, they cut Kasim's body into four quarters and hung two on one side, and two on the other within the door of the cave. Then they mounted their horses and went to beat the road again, and to attack the caravans they might meet.

The morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.