hole, and bury it. There is no time to be lost.” “You are in the right, husband,” replied she, “but let us know, as nigh as possible, how much we have. I will borrow a small measure, and measure it, while you dig the hole.”
Away the wife ran to her brother-in-law who lived just by, and addressing herself to Cassim’s wife, asked her to lend her a measure. Her sister-in-law inquired whether she would have a great or a small one. The other asked for a small one.
The sister-in-law, as she knew Ali Baba’s poverty, was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure, and artfully putting some suet at the bottom brought it to her, with an excuse that she was sorry that she had made her wait so long, but that she could not find it sooner.
Ali Baba’s wife went home, set the measure by the heap of gold, filled it and emptied it till she had done, when she was very well satisfied to find the number of measures amounted to so many as they did, and went to tell her husband, who had almost finished digging the hole. While Ali Baba was burying the gold, his wife, to show her diligence to her sister-in-law, carried the measure back again, but without taking notice that a piece of gold had stuck to the bottom. “Sister,” said she, “you see that I have not kept your measure long. I am obliged to you for it, and return it with thanks.”
As soon as Ali Baba’s wife was gone, Cassim’s wife looked at the bottom of the measure, and was inexpressibly surprised
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