Ali Baba, or, The forty thieves, destroyed by Morgiana, a female slave.

by Anonymous

ALI BABA;

OR,

The Forty Thieves,

DESTROYED BY

Morgiana, a Female Slave.

A TALE;

(From the Arabian Nights' Entertainments.)

SOLD WHOLESALE BY J. FRASER & CO,

PRINTERS, STIRLING.

ALI BABA.

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IN a town of Persia there lived two brothers, the sons of a poor man; the one was named Cassim, and the other Ali Baba.

Cassim, the elder, married a wife with a considerable fortune, and lived at his ease in a handsome house with plenty of servants; but the wife of Ali Baba was as poor as himself; they dwelt in a mean cottage in the suburbs of the city, and maintained his family by cutting wood in a forest nigh Bagdad, the city in which he resided.

One day he went to the forest, as usual, with his son, and having laden his son's asses, and despatched him to the city, was preparing to load his own with the wood he had cut, when he heard the sound of a horn, and, immediately after, the neighing of horses. Upon looking more attentively he discovered a troop of horsemen, galloping towards the place where he stood.

He had often heard of robbers who infested that forest, and, in a great confusion, hastily climbed up a large thick tree, which stood at the foot of a rock, and hid himself among the branches.

The horsemen soon galloped up to the rock, where they all dismounted.

Ali Baba counted forty of them, and he could not doubt but they were thieves, by their ill-looking coutenances.

Each took a loaded portmanteau from his horse, and he who seemed to be their captain, turning to the rock, said, Open Sesame, and immediately a door opened in the rock, and all the robbers passed in, when the door shut of itself.

In a short time the door opened again, and the robbers came out, followed by their captain; who said, Shut Sesame.

The door instantly closed; and the troop, mounting their horses, were presently out of sight.

Baba remained in the tree a long time, and seeing that robbers did not return, he ventured down; and approaching close to the rock, said, Open Sesame.

Immediately the door flew open and Ali Baba beheld a spacious cavern, very light, and filled with all sorts of provisions, merchandise, rich stuffs and heaps of gold and silver coin, which these robbers had taken from merchants and travellers.

Ali Baba then went in search of his asses, and having brought them to the rock, took as many bags of gold coin as they could carry, and put them on their backs; covering them with some loose faggots of wood; and after wards (not forgetting to say Shut Sesame,) he drove the asses back to the city, and having unloaded them in the stable belonging to his cottage, carried the bags into the house and spread the gold coin upon the floor before his wife.

His wife delighted with possessing so much money, wanted to count it; but finding it would take up too much time, she was resolved to measure it; and running to the house of Ali Baba's brother, she entreated them to lend her a small measure.

Cassim's wife was very proud and envious: 'I wonder,' she said to herself, what sort of grain such poor people can have to measure; but I am determined I will find out what they are doing.'

So before she gave the measure she artfully rubbed the bottom with some suet.

Away ran Ali Baba's wife, measured her money, and having helped her husband to bury it in the yard, she carried back the measure to her brother-in-law's house, without perceiving that a piece of gold was left sticking to the bottom of it.

'Fine doings, indeed!' cried Cassim's wife to her husband, after examining the measure, 'your brother there, who pretends to be so poor is richer than you are, for he does not count his money, but measures it.'

Cassim hearing those words, and seeing a piece of gold, grew as envious as his wife, and hastening to his brother threatened to inform the Cadi of his wealth, if he did not confess to him how he came by it.

Ali Baba without hesitation told him the history of the robbers, and the secret of the cave, and offered him half his treasure:, but the envious Cassim disdained the offer, determined to have fifty times more than that out of the robbers' cave.

Accordingly, he rose early the next morning, and set out with ten mules loaded with great chests.

He found the rock easily enough by Ali BaBaba's description, and, having said, open Sesame, he gained admission into the cave, where he found more treasure than he even had expected from his brother's account of it.

He immediately began to gather bags of gold and pieces of rich brocade, piling them close to the door; but when he had got together as much, even more than his ten mules could possibly carry, and wanted to get out to load them, the thoughts of his wonderful riches had made him entirely forget the word which caused the door to open.

In vain he tried Vame, Fame, Rame, Vetame, and a thousand others; the door remained as immoveable as the rock itself, notwithstanding Cassim kicked and screamed, till he was ready to drop with fatigue and vexation.

Presently he heard the sound of horses' feet, which he rightly concluded to be the robbers, and he trembled lest he should fall a victim to his thirst of riches.

He resolved however to make one effort to escape: and when he heard Sesame pronounced and saw the door open, he sprang out; but was instantly put to death by the swords of the robbers.

The thieves now held a council, but not one of them could possibly guess by what means Cassim had got into the cave.

They saw the heaps of treasure he had piled ready to take away, but they did not miss what Ali Baba had secured before.

At length they agreed to cut Cassim's body into four quarters and hang the pieces within the cave, that it might terrify any one from further attempts; and also determined not to return themselves for fear of being watched and discovered.

When Cassim's wife saw night come on, and her husband not returned, she became greatly terrified.

She watched at her window till day-break, and then went to tell Ali Baba of her fears.

Cassim had not informed him of his design of going to the cave, but Ali Baba, now hearing of his journey thither, did not wait to be desired to go in search of him.

He drove his asses to the forest without delay.

He was alarmed to see blood near the rocks and on entering the cave he found the body of his unfortunate brother cut to pieces, and hung up within the door. It was too late now to save him, but he took down the quarters and put them upon one of his asses, covering them with faggots of wood; and weeping for the miserable end of his brother, he regained the city.

The door of his brother's house was opened by Morgiana, an intelligent faithful female slave, who Ali Baba knew was worthy to be trusted with the secret.

He therefore delivered the body to Morgiana, and went himself to impart the sad tidings to the widow of Cassim.

The poor woman was deeply afflicted, and reproached herself with her foolish envy and curiosity, as being the cause of her husband's death; but Ali Baba having convinced her of the necessity of being very discreet, she checked her lamentations and resolved to leave every thing to the good management of Morgiana.

Morgiana having washed the body, hastened to an apothecary's and asked for some particular medicine; saying it was for her master Cassim, who was dangerously ill.

She took care to spread the report of Cassim's illness through the neighbourhood; and as they saw Ali Baba and his wife going daily to the house of their brother in great affliction, they were not surprised to hear shortly after that Cassim had died of his disorder.

The next difficulty was to bury him without discovery; but Morgiana was ready to contrive a plan for that also.

She put on her veil, and went to a distant part of the city very early in the morning where she found a poor cobler just opening his stall.

She put a piece of gold in his hand; and told him he should have another, if he would suffer himself to be blindfolded, and go with her, carrying his tools with him.

Mustapha the cobler hesitated at first; but the gold tempted him and he consented.

Morgiana then carefully covered his eyes, so that he could not see a step of the way, and led him to Cassim's house; and taking him to the room where the body was lying, removed the bandage from his eyes, and bade him sew the mangled limbs together.

Mustapha obeyed her order; and having received two pieces of gold, was led blindfold the same way back to his own stall.

Morgiana then covering the body with a winding sheet, sent for the undertaker to make preparations for the funeral; and Cassim was buried with all due solemnity on that very same day.

Ali Baba now removed his few goods and all his gold coin that he had brought from the cavern, to the house of his deceased brother, of which he took possession, and Cassim's widow received every kind attention both from Ali Baba and his wife.

After an interval of some months, the troop of robbers again visited their retreat in the forest, and were astonished to find the body removed from the cave, and every thing else remaining in its usual order.

'We are discovered,' said the Captain, 'and shall certainly be undone, if we do not adopt speedy measures to prevent our ruin. Which of you, my brave comrades will undertake to discover the villain who is in possession of our secret?'

One of the boldest of the troop advanced, and offered himself. He was accepted on the following condition:—that if he succeeded in his enterprise, he was to be made second in command of the troop; but that if he brought false intelligence, he was immediately to be put to death.

The bold robber readily agreed to the conditions, and disguising himself proceeded to the city.

He arrived there about day-break, and found the cobler Mustapha in his stall, which was always open before any shop in the town.

'Good morrow, friend,' said the robber as he passed the stall, 'you rise betimes: I should think, old as you are, you could scarcely see to work by this light.'

'Indeed, Sir,' replied the cobler, 'old as I am, I do not want for good eye-sight; as you must needs believe, when I tell you I sewed a dead body together the other day, where I had not so good light as I have now.'

'A dead body!' exclaimed the robber, 'you mean, I suppose, that you sewed up the winding sheet for a dead body.'

'I mean no such thing,' replied Mustapha, 'I tell you I sewed the four quarters of a man together.'

This was enough to convince the robber he had luckily met with the very man who could give him the information he was in search of.

However he did not wish to appear eager to learn the particulars, lest he should alarm the old cobler.

He therefore began to laugh: 'Ha! ha! ha! said he, 'I find, good Mr Cobler, that you perceive I am a stranger here, and you wish to make me believe that the people of your city do impossible things.'

'I tell you,' said Mustapha, in a deep and angry tone, I sewed a dead body together with my own hands.'

'Then I suppose you can tell me also where you performed this wonderful business?'

Upon this, Mustapha related every particular of his being led blindfold to the house, &c.

'Well, my friend,' said the robber, 'tis a fine story I confess, but not very easy to believe however, if you will convince me by shewing me the house you talk of, I will give you four pieces of gold to make amends for my unbelief.'

'I think,' said the cobler after considering a while, that if you were to blindfold me, I should remember every turning we made; but with my eyes open I am sure i should never find it.'

Accordingly the robber covered Mustapha's eyes with his handkerchief, who led him thro' most of the principal streets, and stopping by Cassim's door, said, 'Here it is, I went no further than this house.'

The robber immediately marked the door with a piece of chalk; and giving Mustapha his four pieces of gold, dismissed him.

Shortly after the thief and Mustapha had quitted the door, Morgiana coming home from market, perceived the little mark of white chalk on the door; and suspecting something was wrong, directly marked four doors on one side and five on the other of her master's in exactly the same manner, without saying a word to any one.

The robber meantime rejoined his troop, and boasted greatly of his success.

His captain and comrades praised his diligence; and being well armed, they proceeded to town in different disguises, and in separate parties of three or four together.

It was agreed among them, that they were to meet in the market-place at the dusk of evening, and that the captain, and the robber who had discovered the house, were to go there first, to find out to whom it belonged.

Accordingly being arrived in the street, and having a lantern with them, they began to examine the doors, and found, to their confusion and astonishment, that ten doors were marked exactly alike.

The robber who was the captain's guide could not say a word in explanation of this mystery; and when the disappointed troop got back to the forest his enraged companions ordered him to be put to death.

Another now offered himself upon the same conditions as the former; and having bribed Mustapha, and discovered the house, he made a mark with dark red chalk upon the door, in a part that was not in the least conspicuous; and carefully examined the surrounding doors, to be certain that no such mark was upon any one of them.

But nothing could escape the prying eyes of Morgiana; scarcely had the robber departed, when she discovered the red mark; and getting some red chalk, she marked seven doors on each side, precisely in the same place and in the same manner.

The robber, valuing himself highly upon the precautions he had taken, triumphantly conducted his captain to the spot; but great indeed was his confusion and dismay, when he found it impossible to say which among fifteen houses marked alike, was the right one.

The captain, furious with his disappointment, returned again with the troop to the forest; and condemned the second robber also to death.

The captain having thus lost two of his troop judged that their hands were more active than their heads in such services, and he resolved to employ no other of them, but go himself on the business.

Accordingly, he repaired to the city, and addressed himself to the cobler Mustapha, who for six pieces of gold readily performed the same services for him he had done for the two other strangers. The captain, much wiser than his men, did not amuse himself with setting a mark upon the door, but attentively considered the house, considered the number of windows that were in it, and passed by it very often, to be certain that he should know it again.

He then returned to the forest, and ordered his troop to go into the town and purchase nineteen mules and thirty-eight large jars, one full of oil, and the rest empty.

In two or three days jars were bought, and all things in readiness. The captain put a man into each jar, properly armed, and rubbed oil on the outside of each, the covers having holes bored in them for the men to breathe through. With these he loaded his mules, and, in the habit of an oil-merchant, entered the city in the dusk of the evening.

He proceeded to the street where Ali Baba dwelt, and found him sitting in the porch of his house.

‘Sir,’ said he to Ali Baba, I have brought this oil a great way to sell, and am too late for this day’s market.

‘As I am quite a stranger in this town, will you do me the favour to let me put my mules into your court-yard, and direct me where I may lodge to-night?’

Ali Baba, who was a good-natured man, welcomed the pretended oil-merchant very kindly, and offered him a bed in his own house: and having ordered the mules to be unloaded in the yard, and properly fed he invited his guest in to supper.

The captain haying seen the jars properly placed in the yard, followed Ali Baba into the house, and, after supper, was shewn the chamber where he was to sleep.

It happened that Morgiana was obliged to sit up later that night than usual to get ready her master’s bathing linen for the following morning, and while she was busy about the fire, her lamp went out, and there was no more oil in the house.

After considering how she could obtain a light, she recollected the thirty-eight oil jars in the yard, and determined to take a little oil out of one of them for her lamp.

She took her oil vessel in her hand, and approaching the first jar, the robber within said ‘Is it time, captain?’

Any other slave, perhaps, on heating many men in oil jars, would have screamed out; but the prudent Morgiana instantly recollected herself, and replied softly, 'No not yet; lie still till I call you.'

She passed on to every jar repeating the same question, and receiving the same answer, till she came to the last, which was really filled with oil.

Morgiana was now convinced that this was a plot of the robbers to murder her master Ali Baba; so she ran back to the kitchen, and brought out a large kettle which she had filled with oil, and set it on a great wood fire; and as soon as it boiled, she went and poured into the jars sufficient of the boiling oil to kill every man within them.

Having done this she put out her fire and her lamp, and crept softly to her chamber.

The captain of the robbers, hearing every thing quiet in the house, and perceiving no light any where, arose and went down into the yard to assemble his men.

Coming to the first jar, he felt the stream of the boiled oil; he ran hastily to the rest, and found every one of his troop put to death in the same manner.

Full of rage and despair at having failed in his design, he forced the lock of a door that led to the garden, and made his escape over the walls.

On the following morning Morgiana related to her master, Ali Baba, his wonderful deliverance from the pretended oil-merchant and his gang of robbers.

Ali Baba at first could scarcely credit her tale; but when he saw the robbers dead in the jars, he could not sufficiently praise her courage and sagacity; and without letting any one else into the secret, he and Morgiana, the next night, buried the thirty-seven thieves in a deep trench at the bottom of the garden.

The jars and the mules, as he had no use for them, were sent from time to different markets and sold.

While Ali Baba took these measures to prevent his and Cassim's adventures in the forest from being known: the captain returned to his cave, and for awhile abandoned himself to grief and despair.

At length, however, he determined to adopt a new scheme for the destruction of Ali Baba. He removed by degrees all the valuable merchandize from the cave to the city, and took a shop exactly opposite to Ali Baba's house.

He furnished the shop with every thing that was rare and costly, and went by the name of the merchant Cogia Hassan.

Many persons made acquaintance with the stranger; and among others, Ali Baba's son went every day to his shop.

The pretended Cogia Hassan soon appeared to be very fond of Ali Baba's son, offered him many presents, and often detained him to dinner, on which occasions he treated him in the handsomest manner.

Ali Baba's son thought it necessary to make some return to these civilities, and pressed his father to invite Cogia Hassan to supper.

Ali Baba made no objection, and the invitation was accordingly given.

The artful Cogia Hassan would not too hastily accept this invitation, but pretended he was not fond of going into company, and that he had business which demanded his presence at home. These excuses only made Ali Baba's son the more eager to take him to his father's house, and, after repeated solicitations, the merchant consented to sup at Ali Baba's house the next evening.

A very splendid and delicious supper was provided, which Morgiana cooked in the best manner, and, as was her usual custom, she carried in the first dish herself. Having surveyed Cogia Hassan attentively, she perceived that he was the pretended oil-merchant.

The prudent Morgiana did not say a word to any one of this discovery, but sent the other slaves into the kitchen, and waited at table herself. While Cogia Hassan was drinking, she perceived he had a dagger beneath his cloak.

Supper being ended, and the desert and wine on the table, Morgiana went away and dressed herself in the habit of a dancing-girl. She next called Abdalla, a fellow-slave, to play on his tabor while she danced.

When she appeared at the parlour door, her master, who was fond of seeing her dance, ordered her to come in to entertain his guest with some of her best dancing.

Cogia Hassan was not very well pleased with this entertainment, yet was compelled, for fear of discovering himself, to seem pleased with the dancing, while, in fact, he wished Morgiana out of the apartment, alarmed lest he should lose the present opportunity of murdering Ali Baba and his son.

Morgiana continued dancing with the outmost grace and agility. Then, drawing a poinard from her girdle, she performed many astonishing feats with it:—sometimes presenting the point to one, and sometimes to another, and, to the astonishment of all, seemed to plunge it into her own bosom.

Suddenly she paused, and, holding the poinard in the right hand, presented her left to her master, begging a little money: Ali Baba and his son, astonished at the request, presented her with a small piece of money.

She then turned to the pretended Cogia Hassan, and while he was putting his hand into his purse, she plunged the poinard into his heart.

'Wretch!' exclaimed Ali Baba, starting from his seat, 'thou hast ruined me and my family.'

'No, Sir,' replied Morgiana, 'I have preserved and not ruined you and your son. Look well at this traitor, and you will find him to be the pretended oil-merchant who came once before to rob and murder you.'

Morgiana having pulled off the turban and the cloak which the false Cogia Hassan wore, shewed that he was not only the pretended oil-merchant, but the captain of the forty robbers who had slain his brother Cassim, nor could he doubt that his perfidious aim had been to destroy him, and probably his son with the concealed dagger.

Ali Baba, who felt the new obligation he owed to Morgiana for thus saving his life a second time, embraced her, and said, 'My dear Morgiana, I give you your liberty, but my gratitude must not stop there, I will also marry you to my son, who can esteem and admire you no less than does his father.'

Then turning to his son, he added, 'You, my son, will not refuse the wife I offer; for, in marrying Morgiana, you take to wife the preserver and benefactor of yourself and your family.'

The son, far from shewing any dislike, readily and joyfully accepted his proposed bride, having long entertained an affection for the good slave Morgiana.

Having rejoiced in their deliverance, they buried the captain that night with great privacy in the trench along with his troop of robbers; and a few days afterwards Ali Baba celebrated the marriage of his son and Morgiana with a sumptuous entertainment, and every one who knew Morgiana said, she was worthy of her good fortune, and highly commended her master's generosity towards her.

During a twelve month, Ali Baba forbore to go near the forest, but at length his curiosity incited him then to make another journey.

When he came to the cave, he saw no footsteps either of men or horses; and having pronounced open Sesame, went in, and judged by the state of things deposited in the cavern, that no one had been there since the pretended Cogia Hassan had removed the merchandise to his shop in the city.

Ali Baba took as much gold home with him as his horse would carry; and afterwards conducted his son to the cave, and taught him also the secret of opening it.

This secret they handed down to their posterity, who availed themselves of it, and using their good fortune in beneficence to the poor, lived in honor and splendor, and filled with renown some of the most eminent offices in the city of Bagdad.

Turkish Impartiality.

A Grocer of the city of Smyrna had a son who, with the help of the little learning the country could afford, rose to the post of Naib, or deputy to the Cady, or mayor of the city, and as such visited the markets, and inspected the weights and measures of all retail dealers. One day, while going his rounds, his father was advised by the neighbours to remove his weights, which they knew to be deficient. The old cheat, depending on his relationship to the inspector, laughed at their advice, and, at his shop door, calmly awaited his coming. The Naib, however, was well assured of the dishonesty and unfair dealing of his father, and resolved to detect his villany, and make an example of him. Accordingly, he stopt at the door, and coolly said to him, ‘Good man, fetch out your weights, that we may examine them.’ Instead of obeying, the grocer was desirous to put it off with a laugh, but was soon convinced his son was serious, by hearing him order the officers to search his shop, and seeing them produce the instruments of his fraud, which, after an impartial examination, were openly condemned and broken to pieces. His shame and confusion, however, he hoped, would plead with a son to excuse him all further punishment of his crime; the Naib, however, sentenced him to a fine of fifty piastres, and to receive a bastinado of as many blows on the soles of his feet. All this was executed upon the spot; after which, the Naib, leaping from his horse, threw himself at his feet, and watering them with his tears, addressed him thus:—'Father, I have discharged my duty to my God, my sovereign, my country, and my station; permit me now, by my respect and submission, to acquit the debt I owe a parent. Justice is blind, it is the power of God on earth; it has no regard to father or son—God, and our neighbour's right, are above the ties of nature. You had offended against the laws of justice, you deserved this punishment, you would in the end have received it from some other. I am sorry it was your fate to receive it from me, my conscience would not suffer me to act otherwise behave better for the future, and instead of blaming, pity my being reduced to so cruel a necessity.' This done, he mounted his horse again, and continued his journey amid the acclamations and praises of the whole city. Report of which being made to the Sublime Porte, the Sultan advanced him to the post of Cady, from which, by degrees, he rose to the dignity of Mufti, who is the head of both religion and law among the Turks. Were our dealers with false weights to be treated according to the Turkish law, the poor might not be so much imposed on as they are at present.

DISHONESTY PUNISHED.

An Usurer, having lost a hundred pounds in a bag, promised to give a reward of ten pounds to the person who should restore it. A man having brought it to him, demanded the reward. The usurer, loath to give the reward now that he had got the bag, alledged, after the bag was opened, that there were an hundred and ten pounds in it when he lost it. The usurer being called before the judge, unwarily acknowledged that the seal was broke open in his presence, and that there were no more at that time but a hundred pounds in the bag. 'You say,' says the judge, 'that the bag you lost, had a hundred and ten pounds in it.' 'Yes, my lord.' 'Then,' replied the judge, 'this cannot be your bag, as it contained but a hundred pounds: therefore the plaintiff must keep it till the true owner appears; and you must look for your bag where you can find it.'

FINIS.