ALI BABA
17
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.
