But the magician's wicked brother, plotting revenge, obtained access to
the princess in disguise of a holy woman he had foully murdered, and he
would have certainly slain Aladdin but for a warning of the genie, by
which Aladdin was enabled to kill the magician. After that Aladdin lived
in glory and peace, and ascended in due course to the throne, and
reigned with honour and mercy.


_VII.--Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves_


Now, the father of Ali Baba left both his sons poor; but Kasim married a
rich wife, and so he lived plenteously, while his poor brother, Ali
Baba, worked in the wood. It came to pass that Ali Baba one day saw in
the wood a company of forty robbers, the captain of whom cried, "Open,
Sesame!" to a great rock, and lo! it opened, and the men disappeared.
When they were gone out again, Ali Baba came from his hiding, and,
addressing the rock in the same way, found that it obeyed him. Then went
he in and took much of the treasure, which he drove home on his mule.
Now, when his wife sent to the brother Kasim for scales, wherewith she
might weigh all this treasure, the sister-in-law being suspicious that
one so poor should have need of scales, smeared the bottom of the pan
with wax and grease, and discovered on the return a gold piece. This she
showed to Kasim, who made Ali Baba confess the tale. Then Kasim went to
the cave, entered, loaded much treasure, and was about to depart, when
he found he had forgotten the magic words whereby he entered. There was
he found by the forty thieves, who slew and quartered him. Ali Baba
found the quarters, took them home, got a blind tailor to sew them
together, and gave his brother burial.