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Story of Ali Baba and the Fourty Thieves
Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter, happens to see and overhear a large band of thieves - forty in
all - visiting their treasure store in the forest where he is cutting wood. The thieves' treasure
is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic - it opens on the words "Open, Sesame",
and seals itself on the words "Close, Sesame". When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters
the cave himself, and takes some of the treasure home. Ali Baba's rich brother, Kasim, finds
out about his brother's unexpected wealth, and Ali Baba tells Kasim about the cave. Kasim
goes to the cave to take more of the treasure, but forgets the magic words to get back out
of the cave, and the thieves find him there, and kill him. When his brother does not come
back, Ali Baba goes to the cave to look for him, and finds the body, bringing it home. With
the help of Morgiana, a clever slave-girl in Kasim's household, they are able to give Kasim a
proper burial without arousing any suspicions about his death.. The thieves, finding the
body gone, realize that somebody else must know their secret, and set out to track him
down. The first several times they are foiled by Morgiana, who is now a member of Ali
Baba's household, but eventually they are able to ascertain the location of Ali Baba's
house. The lead thief pretends to be an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba's hospitality,
bringing with him mules loaded with 40 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 39 with the other
thieves. Once Ali Baba is asleep, the thieves plan to kill him. Again, Morgiana discovers and
foils the plan, killing the 39 thieves in their oil jars by pouring boiling oil on them. When their
leader comes to rouse his men, he discovers that they are dead, and escapes. The lead
thief, disguised as a merchant, befriends Ali Baba's son (who is now in charge of his late
uncle's business), and is invited to dinner at Ali Baba's house. He is recognised by
Morgiana, who performs a dance with a dagger for the diners and plunges it into the heart
of the thief when he is off his guard. Thus, the story ends happily for everyone except the
forty thieves and Ali Baba's brother.
Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter, happens to see and overhear a large band of thieves - forty in
all - visiting their treasure store in the forest where he is cutting wood. The thieves' treasure
is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic - it opens on the words "Open, Sesame",
and seals itself on the words "Close, Sesame". When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters
the cave himself, and takes some of the treasure home. Ali Baba's rich brother, Kasim, finds
out about his brother's unexpected wealth, and Ali Baba tells Kasim about the cave. Kasim
goes to the cave to take more of the treasure, but forgets the magic words to get back out
of the cave, and the thieves find him there, and kill him. When his brother does not come
back, Ali Baba goes to the cave to look for him, and finds the body, bringing it home. With
the help of Morgiana, a clever slave-girl in Kasim's household, they are able to give Kasim a
proper burial without arousing any suspicions about his death.. The thieves, finding the
body gone, realize that somebody else must know their secret, and set out to track him
down. The first several times they are foiled by Morgiana, who is now a member of Ali
Baba's household, but eventually they are able to ascertain the location of Ali Baba's
house. The lead thief pretends to be an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba's hospitality,
bringing with him mules loaded with 40 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 39 with the other
thieves. Once Ali Baba is asleep, the thieves plan to kill him. Again, Morgiana discovers and
foils the plan, killing the 39 thieves in their oil jars by pouring boiling oil on them. When their
leader comes to rouse his men, he discovers that they are dead, and escapes. The lead
thief, disguised as a merchant, befriends Ali Baba's son (who is now in charge of his late
uncle's business), and is invited to dinner at Ali Baba's house. He is recognised by
Morgiana, who performs a dance with a dagger for the diners and plunges it into the heart
of the thief when he is off his guard. Thus, the story ends happily for everyone except the
forty thieves and Ali Baba's brother.