Excerpt from
The book of the thousand nights and a night, translated from the
Arabic by
Captain Sir Ricard Francis Burton ;
reprinted from the original edition and edited by Leonard
C. Smithers ; in twelve volumes (London : H. S. Nichols & Co., 1894)
Back to Chapter Listing
Continue Reading
Accordingly he fared along, aided by the tador
Baba Mustafa, who had gained much gain of golden pieces in this matter, he hit
upon the house of
Ali Baba. And here he made no outward show or sign, but marked it on the tablet of his heart and impressed
the picture upon the page of his memory. Then, returning to the jungle, he said to his men: "I have full
cognizance of the place
and have limned it clearly in my mind, so now there will be no difficulty in finding it. Go forth straightway and buy me and bring
hither nineteen mules, together with one large leather jar of
mustard oil and seven and thirty vessels of the same kind clean
empty. Without me and the two locked up in
gaol ye number thirty-seven souls, so I will stow you away armed and accoutered
each within his jar and will load two upon each mule, and upon the nineteenth mule there shall be a man in an empty jar on one
side and on the other the jar full of oil. I for my part, in guise of an oil merchant, will drive the mules into the town, arriving at the
house by night, and will ask
permission of its master to tarry there until morning. After this we shall seek occasion during the
dark hours to rise up and fall upon him and slay him." Furthermore, the captain spake, saying: "When we have made an end of
him we shall recover the gold and treasure whereof he robbed us and bring it back upon the mules."
This counsel pleased the robbers, who went forthwith and purchased mules and huge leather jars, and did as the captain had
bidden them. And after a delay of three days, shortly before nightfall they arose, and oversmearing all the jars with oil of
mustard, each hid him inside an empty vessel. The chief then disguised himself in trader's gear and placed the jars upon the
nineteen mules;
to wit, the thirty-seven vessels, in each of which lay a robber armed and accoutered, and the one that was full of
oil. This done, he drove the beasts before him, and presently he reached
Ali Baba's place at nightfall, when it chanced that the
housemaster was strolling after supper to and fro in front of his home. The captain saluted him with the
salaam and said: "I come
from such-and-such a village with oil, and oftentimes have I been here a-selling oil, but now to my grief I have arrived too late and
I am sore troubled and
perplexed as to where I shall spend the night. An thou have pity on me, I pray thee grant that I tarry here
in thy courtyard and ease the mules by taking down the jars and giving the beasts somewhat of
fodder." Albeit
Ali Baba had
heard the captain's voice when perched upon the tree and had seen him enter the cave, yet by reason of the disguise he knew
him not for the leader of the
thieves, and granted his request with hearty welcome and gave him full
license to halt there for the
night. He then pointed out an empty shed wherein to tether the mules, and bade one of the slave boys go fetch grain and water.
He also gave orders to the slave girl
Morgiana, saying: "A guest hath come hither and tarrieth here tonight. Do thou busy thyself
with all speed about his supper and make ready the guest bed for him."
Presently, when the captain had let down all the jars and had fed and watered his mules, Ali Baba received him with all
courtesy
and
kindness, and summoning Morgiana, said in his presence: "See thou fail not in service of this our stranger, nor suffer him to
lack for aught. Tomorrow early I would fare to the hammam and bathe, so do thou give my slave boy Abdullah a suit of clean
white clothes which I may put on after washing. Moreover, make thee ready a somewhat of broth overnight, that I may drink it
after my return home." Replied she, "I will have all in
readiness as thou hast bidden." So Ali Baba retired to his rest, and the
captain, having supped, repaired to the shed and saw that all the mules had their food and drink for the night, and finding utter
privacy, whispered to his men who were in ambush: "This night at midnight, when ye hear my voice, do you quickly open with
your sharp knives the leathern jars from top to bottom, and issue forth without delay." Then, passing through the kitchen, he
reached the chamber wherein a bed had been dispread for him, Morgiana showing the way with a lamp.
Quoth she, "An thou
need aught beside, I pray thee command this thy
slave, who is ever ready to obey thy say!" He made answer, "Naught else need
I." Then, putting out the light, he lay down on the bed to sleep awhile ere the time came to rouse his men and finish off the work.
Meanwhile Morgiana did as her
master had bidden her. She first took out a suit of clean white clothes and made it over to
Abdullah, who had not yet gone to rest. Then she placed the
pigskin upon the hearth to boil the broth and blew the fire till it
burnt briskly. After a short delay she needs must see an the
broth be boiling, but by that time all the lamps had gone out and she
found that the oil was spent and that nowhere could she get a light. The slave boy Abdullah observed that she was troubled and
perplexed hereat, and
quoth he to her: "Why make so much ado? In yonder shed are many jars of oil. Go now and take as
much so ever as thou listest." Morgiana gave thanks to him for his suggestion, and Abdullah, who was lying at his ease in the hall,
went off to sleep so that he might wake betimes and serve Ali Baba in the bath. So the
handmaiden rose, and with oil can in
hand walked to the shed where stood the leathern jars all ranged in rows.
Now as she drew nigh unto one of the vessels, the thief who was hidden therein, hearing the tread of footsteps, bethought him
that it was of his captain, whose
summons he awaited, so he whispered, "Is it now time for us to sally forth?" Morgiana started
back affrighted at the sound of human accents, but inasmuch as she was bold and ready of wit, she replied, "The time is not yet
come," and said to herself: "These jars are not full of oil, and herein I perceive a manner of
mystery. Haply the oil merchant
hatcheth some
treacherous plot against my lord, so
Allah, the Compassionating, the
Compassionate, protect us from his snares!"
Wherefore she answered in a voice made like to the captain's, "Not yet, the time is not come." Then she went to the next jar and
returned the same reply to him who was within, and soon to all the vessels, one by one. Then said she in herself: "Laud to the
Lord! My master took this fellow in believing him to he an oil merchant, but lo! he hath admitted a band of robbers, who only
await the signal to fall upon him and plunder the place and do him die."
Then passed she on to the furthest jar and, finding it brimming with oil, filled her can. and returning to the kitchen, trimmed the
lamp and lit the wicks. Then, bringing forth a large
caldron, she set it upon the fire, and filling it with oil from out the jar, heaped
wood upon the hearth and fanned it to a fierce flame, the readier to boil its contents. When this was done, she bailed it out in
potfuls and poured it seething hot into the leathern vessels, one by one, while the thieves, unable to escape, were scalded to
death and every jar contained a corpse. Thus did this slave girl by her subtle wit make a clean end of all, noiselessly and
unknown even to the dwellers in the house. Now when she had satisfied herself that each and every of the men had been slain,
she went back to the kitchen and, shutting to the door, sat brewing
Ali Baba's broth.
Scarce had an hour passed before the captain woke from sleep and, opening wide his window, saw that all was dark and silent.
So he clapped his hands as a
signal for his men to come forth, but not a sound was heard in return. After a while he clapped
again and called aloud, but got no answer, and when he cried out a third time without reply, he was perplexed and went out to
the shed wherein stood the jars. He thought to himself: "
Perchance all are fallen asleep, whenas the time for action is now at
hand, so I must e'en awaken them without stay or delay." Then, approaching the nearest jar, he was startled by a smell of oil and
seething flesh, and touching it outside, he felt it reeking hot. Then, going to the others one by one, he found all in like condition.
Hereat he knew for a surety the fate which had betided his band and, fearing for his own safety, he clomb onto the wall, and
thence dropping into a garden, made his escape in high
dudgeon and sore disappointment. Morgiana awaited awhile to see the
Captain return from the shed but he came not, whereat she knew that he had scaled the wall and had taken to flight, for that the
street door was double-locked. And the thieves being all disposed of on this wise, Morgiana laid her down to sleep in perfect
solace and ease of mind.
When two hours of darkness yet remained, Ali Baba awoke and went to the
hammam, knowing naught of the night adventure,
for the gallant slave girl had not aroused him, nor indeed had she deemed such action expedient, because had she sought an
opportunity of reporting to him her plan, she might haply have lost her chance and spoiled the project. The sun was high over the
horizon when Ali Baba walked back from the baths, and he marveled exceedingly to see the jars still standing under the shed,
and said: "How cometh it that he, the oil merchant, my guest, hath not carried to the market his mules and jars of oil?" She
answered: "Allah Almighty vouchsafe to thee sixscore years and ten of safety! I will tell thee in privacy of this merchant." So
Ali
Baba went apart with his slave girl, who, taking him without the house, first locked the court door, then, showing him a jar, she
said, "Prithee look into this and see if within there be oil or aught else."
Thereupon, peering inside it, he perceived a man, at which sight he cried aloud and fain would have fled in his fright. Quoth
Morgiana: "Fear him not. This man hath no longer the force to work thee harm, he lieth dead and stone-dead." Hearing such
words of comfort and reassurance,
Ali Baba asked: "O Morgiana, what evils have we escaped, and by what means hath this
wretch become the quarry of
Fate?" She answered: "Alhamdolillah- praise be to
Almighty Allah!- I will inform thee fully of the
case. But hush thee, speak not aloud, lest haply the neighbors learn the secret and it end in our confusion. Look now into all the
jars, one by one from first to last." So Ali Baba examined them severally and found in each a man fully armed and accoutered,
and all lay scalded to death. Hereat, speechless for sheer amazement, he stared at the jars, but presently, recovering himself, he
asked, "And where is he, the oil merchant?" Answered she: "Of him also I will inform thee. The villain was no trader, but a
traitorous
assassin whose honeyed words would have ensnared thee to thy doom. And now I will tell thee what he was and
what hath happened, but meanwhile thou art fresh from the hammam and thou shouldst first drink somewhat of this broth for thy
stomach's and thy health's sake." So Ali Baba went within and Morgiana served up the mess, after which quoth her master: "I
fain would hear this wondrous story. Prithee tell it to me, and set my heart at ease." Hereat the handmaid fell to relating whatso
had betided in these words:
"O my master, when thou badest me boil the
broth and retiredst to rest, thy slave in obedience to thy command took out a suit
of clean white clothes and gave it to the boy Abdullah, then kindled the fire and set on the broth. As soon as it was ready I had
need to light a lamp so that I might see to skim it, but all the oil was spent, and, learning this, I told my want to the
slave boy
Abdullah, who advised me to draw somewhat from the jars which stood under the shed. Accordingly I took a can and went to
the first vessel, when suddenly I heard a voice within whisper with all caution, 'Is it now time for us to
sally forth?' I was amazed
thereat, and judged that the pretended merchant had laid some plot to slay thee, so I replied, 'The time is not yet come.' Then I
went to the second jar and heard another voice, to which I made the like answer, and so on with all of them. I now was certified
that these men awaited only some signal from their chief, whom thou didst take to guest within thy walls supposing him to he a
merchant in oil, and that after thou receivedst him hospitably the
miscreant had brought these men to
murther thee and to plunder
thy good and spoil thy house.
"But I gave him no opportunity to will his wish. The last jar I found full of oil, and taking somewhat therefrom, I lit the lamp.
Then, putting a large
caldron upon the fire, I filled it up with oil which I brought from the jar and made a fierce blaze under it, and
when the contents were seething hot, I took out
sundry cansful with intent to
scald them all to death, and going to each jar in due
order, I poured within them, one by one, boiling oil. On this wise having destroyed them utterly, I returned to the kitchen, and
having extinguished the lamps, stood by the window watching what might happen, and how that false
merchant would act next.
Not long after I had taken my station, the
robber captain awoke and ofttimes signaled to his thieves. Then, getting no reply, he
came downstairs and went out to the jars, and finding that all his men were slain, he fled through the
darkness, I know not
whither. So when he had clean disappeared I was assured that, the door being double-locked, he had scaled the wall and
dropped into the garden and made his escape. Then with my heart at rest I slept."
Back to Chapter Listing
Continue Reading