CHAPTER VI

THE HISTORY OF ALI BABA, AND OF THE FORTY ROBBERS KILLED BY ONE SLAVE


There once lived in a town of Persia two brothers, one named Cassim and
the other Ali Baba. Their father divided a small inheritance 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 approach him. He observed it with attention, and distinguished
soon after a body of horsemen, who he suspected might be robbers. He
determined to leave his asses to save himself. He climbed up a large
tree, planted on a high rock, whose branches were thick enough to
conceal 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 his horse, tied him to some shrub, and
hung about his neck a bag of corn which they brought behind them. 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 concealed; and making
his way through some shrubs, pronounced these words: "Open, Sesame!"
[Footnote: "Sesame" is a small grain.] As soon as the captain of the